NEW YORK 鈥� Andrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 70th birthday is coming up and it turns out there is something the composer really wants on his special day 鈥� more work.
The man behind such blockbuster shows as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock has shows in London鈥檚 West End, Broadway and on tour, but he鈥檇 like to be composing another one.
鈥淭he biggest birthday present to me would be to know that I鈥檝e found another subject. Genuinely, that鈥檚 what I would most want for my 70th birthday 鈥� to know I鈥檓 writing,鈥� he said.
Lloyd Webber may actually be close to another musical subject but doesn鈥檛 want to jinx it by revealing details. 鈥淜nowing me, I鈥檒l find some speed bump along the line,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 typical of the restless, self-described perfectionist that he鈥檚 looking forward as his past is being celebrated in words, performances and music.
His autobiography, Unmasked, is being released this month, along with a four-CD collection of his songs, performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Lana Del Rey and Madonna.
NBC is planning a primetime tribute on March 28.
The Lloyd Webber-mania also includes an upcoming live televised NBC version of Jesus Christ Superstar, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles, and a new musical featuring his songs at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in September.
He was the subject of a Grammy Awards tribute, and Winter Olympics fans would have noticed Lloyd Webber soundtracks for several skaters.
The book, which he jokingly refers to as a 鈥渕edium-sized doorstop,鈥� covers the years from his birth to the birth of The Phantom of the Opera. It鈥檚 honest and very funny.
鈥淚 just hope it shows a little more about me to people who perhaps don鈥檛 know me,鈥� he said in his apartment overlooking Central Park in New York. 鈥淚 just hope I鈥檝e told some of the funniest stories and they鈥檙e not too boring for people.鈥�
Readers will learn how close he was to being cast as Mozart in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, the time he scribbled the title song in Jesus Christ Superstar on a paper napkin, how Judy Garland inspired Don鈥檛 Cry for Me Argentina and the moment he accidentally exploded a bottle of Champagne all over Streisand鈥檚 hors d鈥檕euvres.
He also corrects the record about his first meeting with mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh. They did not consume four bottles of burgundy over a long lunch. 鈥淚t was three bottles and two kirs,鈥� he writes.
One of the book鈥檚 most fascinating sections involves the troubled creation of Cats, which became a global phenomenon. Lloyd Webber had to put his own money into the show and watched its progression nervously.
There were warning signs. The show was his first without lyricist Tim Rice, with whom he鈥檚 had success with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita. He was working with a then-unknown producer in Mackintosh and a director who had never done a musical. Lyrics came from a dead poet, T.S. Eliot. The musical director resigned after having a nervous breakdown.
鈥淲e were asking people to believe that human beings were cats. It appeared to have no story-line,鈥� Lloyd Webber said.
鈥淭here was not one ingredient that anybody could see was anything other than a recipe for the worst disaster that had ever happened in the history of musical theatre.鈥�
Lloyd Webber is positive he would be unable to get backing for a show like that on Broadway today, though he cheers the imagination of current hits such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away and The Band鈥檚 Visit. None seem safe bets: 鈥淓very single one of those four would be considered to be written by somebody who terminally insane,鈥� he said, laughing.
His 480-page autobiography ends in 1986, with Phantom:
鈥淚 resembled a jelly about to enter a pizza oven.鈥� But he doubts he鈥檒l write a second volume. By the end of the first, several key relationships have frayed and betrayal is felt.
鈥淥n the way down sometimes is when you see people鈥檚 true colours. I don鈥檛 want to write about that. I never want to write about the bad side of people or things,鈥� he said.
Jonathan Burnham, the book鈥檚 editor at HarperCollins, said the book offers charming anecdotes along with Lloyd Webber鈥檚 thinking about music, including the mechanics of putting on musicals.
鈥淲hat makes the book so valuable and entertaining is his voice, which is unshackled,鈥� Burnham said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like spending a delightful series of evenings with a witty friend who鈥檚 lived lots of interesting experiences.鈥�
The CD collection of 71 songs proves Lloyd Webber鈥檚 range, including a song he wrote for Elvis Presley, orchestral suites, and tunes performed by everyone from Donny Osmond to Beyonc茅. Lana Del Rey performs You Must Love Me and Nicole Scherzinger does Memory.
鈥淚鈥檓 rather unfashionable now because I鈥檓 not sure that melody is as fashionable as it was,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat I do is melody, and I still believe there鈥檚 a place for that.鈥�
With that, one of music history鈥檚 most successful composers is itching to get to the airport, and back to work in England.
鈥淚鈥檝e already said I鈥檓 the most boring person I鈥檝e ever met. I do not intend to bore people any further,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 just want to get to the theatre and get on with the next case.鈥�
