The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

By Angie Bedford

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

When a greatest hits album comes along, one often assesses the merit of the artist that has had such an enduring career. With The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a new concert which opened in Melbourne last night, there is no question of the stellar achievements of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the great composer, producer, theatre owner, television personality – the list goes on. Lloyd Webber’s success in musical theatre is far reaching and deserved.

Hitting the Melbourne stage a few months before the rejigged Love Never Dies is to premiere at the same theatre; The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber certainly kicks off Lloyd Webber fever. 

The most striking thing about this production is just how many musicals Lloyd Webber has composed. It easy to forget his lesser known productions such as Whistle Down the Wind and Tell Me on a Sunday, but the vast array of music on show reminds us of Lloyd Webber’s musical versatility, ranging from pop to opera to gospel.

However, I do feel that some of the song choices were a bit obscure for younger audiences, given that, with the exception of Cats, Sunset Boulevard and The Phantom of the Opera, most of Lloyd Webber’s productions haven’t played Australian stages for nearly twenty years. You could pretty much see the audience sitting up straighter as soon as the familiar The Phantom of the Opera theme gloriously filled the Regent Theatre. 

In terms of the overall performance, we had more than your average concert, with Elizabeth Hill’s choreography and some Julie Lynch’s subtle costume changes and use of digital media. The digital images played on a few large screens that resembled picture frames. In most cases the media featured imagery related to the song/show and moved in time with the music. 

I did at times find this distracting or unnecessary; I think the visuals were best when they provided some context to the song, such as The Phantom of the Opera which was supported with images from the beautiful Joel Schumacher film. It really enhanced the drama of the song. Gimmicks and spectacles go hand in hand with Lloyd Webber Megamusicals, and it was good to be reminded of these. 

We also had a couple of clips featuring Lloyd Webber, which shared some nice anecdotes about his work and life. As a general concept rule, I would have liked more information about each piece, and would welcome a small commentary or introduction (like the informative programme content) of each musical before its set played. 

It particularly would have been good to see clips from Cats and Starlight Express, which, without fur and roller-skates, weren’t as remarkable. 

Given the 25+ songs featured, the show was very well paced, with the cast conducting efficient scene changes and a number of songs seamlessly merging into the next. I appreciated the use of a medley for Cats to give a taste of the overall score without going on too long.

As a fan of the wonderful Lloyd Webber love trio comprising of Unexpected Song, I Don’t Know How to Love Him and Love Changes Everything, I found the duet version performed in this show (Love Changes Everything omitted) to be less remarkable, as the trio is a beautiful and clever arrangement. 

We were treated to an onstage orchestra, who didn’t miss a beat. The selections from Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom of the Opera were musical highlights.

The standout performers of the evening were Michael Cormick and Delia Hannah. Both consummate performers, Cormick and Hannah sang a varied repertoire with ease. I would pay top dollar to see Michael Cormick play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera; he really is one of the top performers in this country. I enjoyed seeing Hannah reprise Grizabella from Cats, along with a few other of her trademark ‘strong women’ roles. 

Trisha Crowe was the stellar soprano of the evening, endearingly performing a few of Christine’s songs from The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies. Blake Bowden’s voice suited the material perfectly, with a fantastic performance of ’Til I Hear You Sing and a consistently strong performance throughout the evening. Other vocal highlights of the evening included Alinta Chidzey’s and Andrew Conaghan’s I Believe My Heart and the boys in No Matter What, which was well received by the audience for its boy band clichés.

Although I felt that this greatest hits playlist needed a few more up-tempo numbers and perhaps a little more of Lloyd Webber’s better known material, it is remarkable that one composer has too much great content to fit into one show.  

Well done to the cast and creatives for presenting an enjoyable production. Make sure you catch it on its whirlwind tour of Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is now playing at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne until March 27 before touring Australian Capital Cities, New Zealand and Asia. 

Details: Official Website Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au