Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber is, without question, one of the most prolific and popular composers of his generation, and fans of stage and screen alike are sure to recognize his impact on the modern musical. It doesn't take a musical lover to appreciate the grandiose theatrics of The Phantom of the Opera, and considering the phenomenal success of Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, there seems to be something for everyone in Webber's musical universe. A London native who began coaxing melodies from his violin at the tender age of three, Webber had penned nine musicals by the time he had graduated from college. Though the composer would make the occasional foray into cinema with scores for Gumshoe (1971) and The Odessa File (1974), it was his compositions for such timeless stage epics as The Phantom of the Opera and Evita that truly made him a household name. Of course, many of his most affecting stage works were adapted for film and television as well over the years, with Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and Evita (1996, Oscar winner for Best Song) garnering especially strong followings. As production on the film The Phantom of the Opera drew to a close in 2003, Webber began preparation for a film version of his musical Aspects of Love. In 2010 Love Never Dies, Webber's long-in-development sequel to Phantom of the Opera, premiered on London's West End, though the production drew mixed critical reviews before moving to Melbourne, Sydney, and Copenhagen. On January 6, 2006, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show on Broadway.