The next Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is...

I'm excited!

I love my ALW!

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Well, that sounds.... strange.

This seems really odd.

^ haha

Cast of characters from the novel:

Woland
a mysterious gentleman "magician"
Behemoth
fast talking black cat
Koroviev
"ex-choirmaster" valet
Azazello
the fanged hitman
Abadonna
a pale-faced individual
Hella
the witch
Berlioz
the head of the literary world
Margarita
the Master's lover

I like Andrew Lloyd Webber as a composer. This musical sounds... interesting to say the least.

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This story has always intrigued me, should be interesting.

But please, no Michael Crawford this time. Pleeeease!

When will all ALW's fan understand that he doesn't know how to write a musical?

He writes wonderful melodies (or "borrows" them from the right people, i.e. Puccini) but he has no idea where to use music for dramatic effect, how to use it to heighten emotion and develop character, and most importantly when not to use and let dialogue carry the story. Any theatricality to his shows is a result of the direction and design elements. There is nothing inherently theatrical in the writing.

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Oh, no! More cats?!!!

This is really out of the box for him. This could be his best work ever or a completely delicious disaster. I can't wait.

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Well, I must say that the reception this news is getting on this board is at least better than the detestable reaction it's getting on Talkin' Broadway.

I'm glad people are hoping that Andrew Lloyd Webber writes a good piece of theatre. They've already dismissed him on the other board, which I think is just terrible. Why do we tear down writers that we've put in boxes when they try and break out of them? The same thing happened when Stephen Schwartz announced that he was writing an opera. Who is it helping? Is it really the actions of people who claim to love theatre? If we love it, I think we should approach every new work hoping that it's the best thing we've ever seen. Otherwise, you're actively hoping for the art form you love to fail and die.

The one person so far who has said this won't be good for Andrew Lloyd Webber did it intelligently and with reasons why they don't like Lloyd Webber's writing. While I personally disagree with that poster's comments, and don't like the attitude that they're right and "When will ALW's fans learn?", at the heart of it they were merely expressing an opinion without vitriol and nastiness. I hope that people go a little easier on Lloyd Webber.

Anyway, as I read the brief description of the novel, it sounds like it might be the perfect piece to reunite Lloyd Webber with Tim Rice. It sounds like there are equal parts religious and political satire/commentary, which we've seen Rice handle before. Thoughts on that? Does anyone who knows the novel better have any ideas for the lyricist?

Oh Andrew Lloyd Webber will you please end this Charade.