Webber and Rice

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 12:48am

Does anyone know exactly why Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice parted ways? On Wikipedia it says that it is open to speculation and that the reasons are unclear.

Can anyone clear up those reasons?

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 2:26am

I read somewhere that the song, "Memory" caused some conflict between them...

[lifeisacabaret]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 4:06am

Why? Rice had nothing to do with Cats- all the lyrics for Cats are from the original TS.Elliot, apart from Memory, which Trevor Nunn and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote.

Rice and Webber have been working together alot recently- their never-performed-before piece, 'The Likes of Us' was performed in the West End recently, and they have worked closely on the current 'Evita' revival.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 4:36am

From what I have remember, (remember, this isn't a fact. I may be telling you a bogus) Tim Rice was originally working on the lyrics to Memory. Webber, however, thought his lyrics sounded like it was her Death Message of some sort, and they split apart...

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 5:43am

They had some difficulties in the past and Memory seems to be the last drop. Both Tim and Trevor Nunn wrote their own lyrics and ALW decided to go for Nunn's version.

Right now it seems their relationship is ok. They appeared together on a UK talk show promoting Evita and even said they would love to work together again, if they find the right subject. Personally, I'd love that, since they were the best of collaborators.

Speaking of Tim Rice's lyrics for 'Memory', does anybody have any idea how they went?

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 8:12am

I heard that the Grizabella was an unpublished character, and the widow Eliot (or maybe T.S.) gave it to him. I guess I was wrong.

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 9:38am

No, you're right. Valerie Elliot, T.S.'s widow, gave ALW an unpublished story of Grizabella, which didn't make it in the book, since T.S. Elliot felt it is too sad for young children. ALW already had the tune for Memory (reportedly, his father, William Lloyd Webber told him it sounded like a million dollars when ALW played it on the piano for the first time) and the lyrics were written based on Elliot's 'Rhapsody on a windy night'.

[wishinguweresomehow]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 6:52pm

I had actually heard that one of the shows that they were working on, Rice decided he didnt want to focus on, and put it aside, and then ALW decided to go with someone else. Which obviously upset Rice. But I could be wrong, I dunno.

[ben1986]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 9:24pm

The true story was this, after Evita Rice and Lloyd Weber wanted to continue working together, the problem was that they had different idea's. Rice, after being fascinated by the politics of Evita, wanted to write another political opera this time based on the Cold War. Lloyd Weber on the other hand wanted to write Cats and also wanted to write more romance. As a result both ended up going their own ways.

Rice eneded writing his Cold War rock opera with Benny and Bjorn, of Abba fame, and that came to be "Chess". I think one of the best musicals ever written, yes I said ever written. Lloyd Weber ended up writing Cats and well we know what happened there. His romantic musical ended up not coming along for several years latter, though in some forgotten show called "The Phantom of the Opera". Ironically both brought their respective shows to NYC in 1987/88. "Chess" flopped, and thats another whole post onto itself, and "Phantom" well need I say more. That's the whole story between the two and in recent years they have reconciled. Now will they ever get together? Who knows, but I think if they did another star will be born.

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 9:53pm

The two really are magic together. Somehow they seem to be able to "control" each other and pull in the reins when need be. I feel like even the campy show Joseph succeeds and never fails. I can't say the same for Aida or Woman in White.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 10:02pm

They need to get back together . . . period

[west end artist1]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 10:19pm

There is a lot of talk here in the UK that they will be getting back together soon.The press are also saying that ALW really needs to reunite with him as his musicals are becoming stale.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 10:21pm

Well, ALW wrote great music to accompany Rice's great lyrics and vice versa. Of course they have their stinkers (who doesn't), but in my opinion Webber has never had a better lyricist and Rice has never had a better composer.