Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Discover the career path of Andrew Lloyd Webber, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a highly successful English composer and impresario, renowned for his contributions to musical theatre. He has created 21 musicals, as well as other compositions spanning various genres. His work has achieved exceptional longevity, with several productions running for over a decade in both London's West End and on Broadway, solidifying his impact on the world of musical theatre.
1965: The Likes of Us composed
In 1965, Andrew Lloyd Webber composed "The Likes of Us". However, it was not publicly performed until 2005.
1965: Meeting Tim Rice
In 1965, a 17-year-old Andrew Lloyd Webber met 20-year-old Tim Rice, starting a collaboration in musical theatre.
1966: Demo Tape of The Likes of Us
In 1966, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice produced a demo tape of their first collaboration, The Likes of Us, but the project failed to gain a backer.
1967: Commission for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
In the summer of 1967, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were commissioned to write a piece for the Colet Court school's choir, leading to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
1969: "Try It and See"
In 1969, Rice and Lloyd Webber wrote "Try It and See" for the Eurovision Song Contest, which was not selected.
1970: Jesus Christ Superstar
In 1970, Lloyd Webber and Rice released Jesus Christ Superstar.
1971: Jesus Christ Superstar Debuts on Broadway
In 1971, Jesus Christ Superstar debuted on Broadway.
1972: Jesus Christ Superstar in London
From 1972, Jesus Christ Superstar held the record for longest-running West End musical before it was overtaken by Cats in 1989.
1972: Joseph Stage Musical
In 1972, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was revised to a stage musical.
1973: West End Production of Joseph
In 1973, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was staged in the West End, following the success of Jesus Christ Superstar.
1975: Jeeves Closes
In 1975, Jeeves closed after a run of only 38 performances in the West End.
1976: Evita Concept Album
In 1976, Evita was released as a concept album featuring Julie Covington singing the part of Eva Perón.
1978: Evita West End Production
In 1978, Evita was staged at the West End's Prince Edward Theatre, directed by Harold Prince and starring Elaine Paige.
1978: Variations Release
In 1978, Lloyd Webber embarked on a project with his cellist brother Julian, the Variations, which reached number two in the pop album chart in the United Kingdom.
1979: Evita on Broadway
In 1979, Evita transferred to Broadway, starring Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, winning seven Tony Awards.
1980: Jesus Christ Superstar Grosses $237 Million
By 1980, Jesus Christ Superstar had grossed more than $237 million worldwide.
1980: Whicker's World theme used until 1980
From 1978 to 1980, Lloyd Webber also composed a new theme tune for the long-running documentary series Whicker's World.
1981: Cats Premieres
In 1981, Cats premiered, becoming the longest-running musical in London with 21 years and 8,949 performances.
March 1984: Marriage to Sarah Brightman
In March 1984, Andrew Lloyd Webber married English soprano Sarah Brightman in Hampshire. He later cast her in lead roles in his musicals.
1984: Starlight Express Premieres
In 1984, Starlight Express premiered, achieving commercial success despite negative reviews.
February 1985: Requiem Mass Premiere
On February 24, 1985, Lloyd Webber's Requiem Mass premiered at St. Thomas Church in New York.
1986: Cricket Premieres
In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice reunited to create a short musical called Cricket for Queen Elizabeth II's 60th birthday celebration, first performed at Windsor Castle.
1986: Grammy Award for Requiem
In 1986, Lloyd Webber received a Grammy Award for Requiem in the category of best classical composition.
1986: The Phantom of the Opera Premieres
In 1986, The Phantom of the Opera, inspired by the Gaston Leroux novel, premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the part of Christine for his then wife, Sarah Brightman.
1988: Starlight Express in Germany
Since 1988, Starlight Express has been running full-time in Bochum, Germany.
1989: Aspects of Love Premieres
In 1989, Aspects of Love, a musical based on the story by David Garnett, premiered. It is famous for the song "Love Changes Everything".
1989: Cats Longest-Running West End Musical
In 1989, Cats overtook Jesus Christ Superstar as longest-running West End musical.
1992: Composes song for Summer Olympics
In 1992, Andrew Lloyd Webber composed "Amigos Para Siempre — Friends for Life" for the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, with lyrics by Don Black, and performed by Sarah Brightman and José Carreras.
1992: Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Started
In 1992, Andrew Lloyd Webber started the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation which supports the arts, culture, and heritage of the UK, marking his formal commitment to philanthropy.
1992: Start of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation
In 1992, Andrew Lloyd Webber started the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, which supports arts, culture, and heritage in the UK.
July 1993: Sunset Boulevard Opens in London
On July 12, 1993, Sunset Boulevard opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London, running for 1,529 performances.
December 1993: Glenn Close originates role in Los Angeles
In December 1993, Glenn Close originated the role of Norma Desmond in Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard.
November 1994: Glenn Close stars on Broadway
In November 1994, Glenn Close starred in the Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard.
1994: Sunset Boulevard Opens on Broadway
In 1994, Sunset Boulevard opened on Broadway with the largest advance in Broadway history, and winning seven Tony Awards that year.
1995: Begins Matters of Taste Column
From 1995, Lloyd Webber wrote the Matters of Taste column in The Daily Telegraph.
1996: By Jeeves Produced
In 1996, Lloyd Webber and Ayckbourn produced By Jeeves, a reworked version of Jeeves.
1997: Sunset Boulevard Closes on Broadway
In 1997, Sunset Boulevard closed on Broadway, failing to recoup its $13 million investment despite its earlier success.
1998: Whistle Down the Wind Debuts
In 1998, Whistle Down the Wind, a musical with lyrics by Jim Steinman, debuted. The production included the Boyzone number-one hit "No Matter What".
1998: Cats Film Version Released
In 1998, a film version of Cats, directed by David Mallet and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, was released. It featured performers who had been in the show before.
2000: Ends Matters of Taste Column
Until 2000, Lloyd Webber wrote the Matters of Taste column in The Daily Telegraph.
2002: Becomes a Producer with Bombay Dreams
In 2002, Andrew Lloyd Webber turned producer, bringing the musical Bombay Dreams to London, with music by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Don Black.
2002: Featured in BBC Concert
In 2002, Andrew Lloyd Webber's music from Bombay Dreams was featured in a BBC Radio 2 concert.
2003: Release of School of Rock
In 2003, the film School of Rock was released, predating the musical adaptation by several years.
September 2004: The Woman in White Opens in London
On September 16, 2004, Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of The Woman in White opened at the Palace Theatre in London.
November 2005: The Woman in White Opens on Broadway
On November 17, 2005, The Woman in White opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre, garnering mixed reviews.
2005: The Likes of Us Performed
In 2005, "The Likes of Us" was performed at Lloyd Webber's Sydmonton Festival.
January 2006: Phantom overtakes Cats on Broadway
In January 2006, Phantom of the Opera overtook Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats as the longest-running show on Broadway.
February 2006: The Woman in White Closes on Broadway
On February 19, 2006, The Woman in White closed on Broadway after a brief three-month run, due in part to the star's absences.
November 2006: The Sound of Music Debuts
In November 2006, Andrew Lloyd Webber produced a staging of The Sound of Music, choosing an unknown, Connie Fisher, to play Maria through the reality TV show.
2006: Revives The Sound of Music
In 2006, Andrew Lloyd Webber revived Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music at the London Palladium.
2007: The Master and Margarita Project Abandoned
In 2007, Andrew Lloyd Webber's project, The Master and Margarita, was abandoned.
April 2008: The Boys in the Photograph Première
In April 2008, The Beautiful Game was re-worked into a new musical, The Boys in the Photograph, which had its world première at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
2008: Fifth Most Powerful Person in British Culture
In 2008, The Daily Telegraph named Andrew Lloyd Webber the fifth most powerful person in British culture. Lyricist Don Black stated "Andrew more or less single-handedly reinvented the musical."
2008: Amateur Rights Released
In 2008, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) released the amateur rights for "The Likes of Us".
October 2009: Love Never Dies Launched
On October 8, 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber launched the musical Love Never Dies at Her Majesty's Theatre.
2009: Manages UK's Eurovision Entry
In 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber managed the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. He composed "It's My Time" with Diane Warren, performed by Jade Ewen, finishing fifth.
March 2011: The Wizard of Oz Opens
On March 1, 2011, The Wizard of Oz opened at The Palladium Theatre, starring Hope as Dorothy Gale and Michael Crawford as the Wizard of Oz.
February 2012: Phantom of the Opera plays its 10,000th show on Broadway
On February 11, 2012, Phantom of the Opera played its 10,000th show on Broadway, marking a significant milestone for the production.
May 2012: Tickets go on sale
On May 18 2012, tickets for most venues went on sale for Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour.
September 2012: Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour
In September 2012, Andrew Lloyd Webber's arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar started, also starring comedian Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot, former Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles as Herod Antipas.
2013: Reunites with Hampton and Black
In 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber reunited with Christopher Hampton and Don Black on Stephen Ward the Musical.
2013: Launch of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme
In 2013, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme was launched to support the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST), aiming to provide musical instrument education to every child at participating UK schools.
2014: Designed Cats-Themed Paddington Bear Statue
In 2014, Andrew Lloyd Webber designed a Cats-themed Paddington Bear statue for a charity auction in London to benefit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
2015: Auditions for School of Rock Musical
In 2015, Andrew Lloyd Webber held auditions for children for a musical adaptation of the 2003 film School of Rock.
April 2016: Sunset Boulevard Revival in London
In April 2016, the English National Opera staged a revival of Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum, with Glenn Close reprising her role as Norma Desmond.
February 2017: Sunset Boulevard Transfers to Broadway
In February 2017, the 2016 London revival of Sunset Boulevard transferred to the Palace Theatre on Broadway.
December 2019: Cats Film Adaptation Release
In December 2019, the film adaptation of Cats, for which Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the song "Beautiful Ghosts" with Taylor Swift, was released.
August 2020: Cinderella Delayed
In August 2020, the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new version of Cinderella was originally scheduled to take place but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2021: Prepared to be arrested for Cinderella
In July 2021, Andrew Lloyd Webber garnered press attention for saying that he was "prepared to be arrested" to open Cinderella to full houses.
April 2023: Phantom of the Opera closes on Broadway
On April 16, 2023, the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera closed after 13,981 performances, the most in Broadway history.
2023: Composition for Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
In 2023, Andrew Lloyd Webber was commissioned to compose a new piece for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. His anthem, "Make a Joyful Noise", was performed during Queen Camilla's enthronement.
2024: Announcement of The Illusionist Musical Adaptation
In 2024, Andrew Lloyd Webber announced his next musical: an adaptation of the 2006 film The Illusionist, with lyrics by Bruno Major, book by Chris Terrio, directed by Jamie Lloyd, and produced by Michael Harrison.
2025: Reunion with Tim Rice for Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas
In 2025, Andrew Lloyd Webber will reunite with Tim Rice to create original songs for Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, a comedy whodunit play by Humphrey Ker and David Reed, premiering at the Birmingham Rep.
