Why does everyone hate Andrew Lloyd Webber?

[toodramatic]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 9:43pm

Going through the BWW boards the other day I stumbled upon a thread started by Justice damning Phantom of the Opera. Out of about 50 some posts almost all of them were condemning POTO or ALW. Justice in a later post even called the composer “slime.”

Well.

I’m not a huge Webber fan (more of a Sondheim man) and I think POTO is at best a mediocre musical. But the way some people were describing their Phantom experiences…it was as though the Phantom came and spat upon them at intermission.

Anywho in preparation for a trip to London I went to the website dresscircle.co.uk and decided to have a look at their boards. To my horror I found a thread labeled ‘Why does everybody hate RENT?’

It seems many Brits have a great dislike for our beloved rent. One guy called it ‘overly sentimental American Rubish.’ Now to be fair their were a lot of Rent supporters (my fav quote: ‘I may hate America’s politics but I love her culture’).

This got me thinking maybe people should relax their hatred for POTO and ALW. I’ve honestly never had a bad night in a theatre. Sure, I’ve seen bad shows, but it was still fun making fun of how much they sucked with my friends. Who cares if the lyrics are trite, the music is repetitive, and the story goes nowhere… any night at a show is fun. And if you still have a grudge about Into the Woods losing—Get over it! Even Sondheim has, my god your life must be pathetic.

Anyways just thinking out loud.

[RumTumTugger]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 9:52pm

To me, it seems that he repeats alot of his material. And because I just got finished with a production of Joseph, and thought it wasn't the greatest music ever.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:01pm

Well, think about this....You asked "Why does EVERYONE hate Andrew Lloyd Webber?" Well my darling, this board IS NOT everyone!!! If you were to take a world-sized poll for the worlds most popular musical theatre composer, ALW would probably take the cake! People constantly try to sit there and disect the better tendencies of Stephen Sondheim over Andrew Lloyd Webber, when really they write two completely different styles of musicals. I am personally a HUGE fan of Stephen Sondheim AND a HUGE fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber....YES IT IS POSSIBLE. Really, you'll find that everyone on this board who dislikes ALW feels that they are right about this issue, and everyone else is wrong, so really, the discussion is pointless. Let people have their favorites and enjoy who they want to enjoy. Any ways, that's just my two cents!

Later!

Phantom05

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:03pm

I am not ashamed that I like ALW and his musicals. To me it is like a guilty pleasure. ALW musicals to me are like "gateway" shows. They are appealing to a larger group of people, which may bring in a lot of new musical theatre fans. Then many of these fans move on and begin to appreciate other composers and styles of theatre (and many of these same people then bash ALW because they are ashamed to admit they like his work for fear of being criticized for not being sophisticated enough). I think in theatre circles it is perceived as "cooler" to prefer Sondheim to ALW or even to Frank Wildhorn and Boublil/Schonberg, so many people say nasty things about his music, but are secretly closet ALW fans. It is like when I was in college...a lot of my friends wouldn't listen to any band who had a top 40 hit or was on the radio because they had "sold out" or were too commercial. I think this is sort of how ALW shows are viewed..like they are too commercial succesful, too pop-oriented and too pleasing to the masses to really be cool. For me...if it wasn't for ALW and Les Mis back in the late 80's I may not be the fan of musicals that I am today--who appreciates and loves many different composers and their styles. Of course my first major role was as Hero in Forum...a Sondheim show...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:06pm

I don't hate webber...

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:08pm

I just don't think he composes very good music.

[takehomeazak06]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:09pm

Personally i do not like Into the Woods as far as music goes it is basically just really fast talk singing -- spare a few songs. Also i just did A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and i thought the music was very boring (of course i never have seen the show only have heard the original cast album). Sondheim is not a musical genius, in my mind more of a lyrical genius. There is no denying his gift for writing witty lyrics.

Overall i prefer Webber.

[LouW95]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:10pm

Webber shows usually enjoy long runs and make money-- Sondheim shows do not. Maybe a bit of ego and jealousy involved in the anti-Webber postings??? There is certainly room for both men in the theater and certainly no need to put down one as inferior to the other.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:11pm

<-----does not hate ALW. Hate is a very strong word.

[Plum]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:16pm

Everyone? In what universe does "everyone" hate ALW? And if everyone hates POTO so much, why are there cults of women devoted to no fewer than 3 Phantoms?

If you have a popularity contest here, Sondheim will win pretty easily, as was demonstrated a few days back. But even on what those who don't like to think too hard term a board for "theater snobs," ALW has his partisans. Anyway, I don't hate him. I think it's fair to say I hate Evita, but that's about it.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:18pm

I'm just mad at him. He still owes me seven dollars.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:36pm

I think there's a certain snob factor that plays into the ALW bashing that you see on this and other Broadway sites. If you were to believe these people, every ALW musical currently on stage should close immediately. It also seems that every one of these people will also post that Sondheim walks on water and each of those newly-emptied theatres should be filled with a Sondheim show.

The fact that a lot of these people make their living on the stage makes these views seem rather strange. If they were to rely on an income based on SS earnings, they'd starve to death rather quickly.

There are some ALW musicals that I don't care for at all. However there are quite a few that I think are wonderful. This is a matter of personal taste of course. I think that Phantom is just about the most perfect musical ever written. It has a wonderful, dramatic story with comedy, tragedy, horror, and romance. (Something for everyone.) It also has incredible sets, fantastic costumes, and (again - my opinion) some absolutely beautiful music.

BTW - I also love "Follies" - but I still don't think SS walks on water. (And I never liked "Rent")

[Plum]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:37pm

Silly Mamie. Sondheim turns water into wine, and then he walks on it.

[takehomeazak06]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:42pm

"Silly Mamie. Sondheim turns water into wine, and then he walks on it."

that was funny. webbre rules though

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:42pm

Silly Mamie. Sondheim turns water into wine, and then he walks on it.

And I heard that he cures lepers in his free time.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:45pm

Oh - I need to drink from the fountain that is Sondheim! (My feet are killing me and my head hurts. Maybe he can heal me?)

[Plum]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:45pm

Sure, when he takes breaks from raising the dead.

[takehomeazak06]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:47pm

go back to the message board and take my poll

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:47pm

That actually did help my head!

Updated On: 6/23/05 at 10:47 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:52pm

Concentrated doses of A Little Night Music have been shown to prevent osteoperosis.

[bwaybaby891]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:53pm

I love ALW and don't care for Sondheim. It's just as simple as that.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:54pm

I'm not answering your poll. I don't think one is better than the other. I both like and dislike some of each's works.

[MyDreamsRecurring]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 10:58pm

He uses very simple melodies.
His characters are overdramatic and unrealistic compared to Sondheim shows.

[MyDreamsRecurring]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 11:00pm

"If you were to believe these people, every ALW musical currently on stage should close immediately."

See, it's just theater people who hate Webber. Tourists and people with low iqs love Webber!

[Plum]

Posted: 6/23/05 at 11:19pm

Yes, of course. And what an intelligent statement that is. Your ability to see the complexities of making a comparison between Sondheim and Lloyd Webber is a clear example of your suprior intellect.