Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed the scores of some of the world’s most famous musicals. The music of Cats, Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock is known to all, but here are some things you might not know about Andrew Lloyd Webber.
1. Non-stop for almost half a century
Lloyd Webber has had shows continually running in the West End for 48 years and on Broadway for 41. School of Rock is the first British musical to have its world premier on Broadway.
2. A Royal commission
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed a new anthem 'Make a joyful noise' for the coronation of King Charles. The anthem was written for the Westminster Abbey choir and organ, the ceremonial brass and orchestra and was based on Psalm 98.
3. Giving back to theatre
Lloyd Webber owns six London theatres, including the famous London Palladium and Theatre Royal. He has put a substantial amount of money into refurbishing the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and has completed a re-modelling and re-seating of the Gillian Lynne theatre.
4. EGOT status
There are only 18 people who can claim EGOT status and Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of them. It is seen as the ultimate achievement to win all four of the main American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Lloyd Webber has been the recipient of an Emmy, four Grammys, an Oscar and eight Tony Awards. He has also won seven Oliviers and a Golden globe amongst other incredible honours.
5. Diversity in the arts
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation provides 30 performing arts scholarships every year for talented students with financial need. He also supports a range of projects such as the Music In Secondary School Trust which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, as well as commissioning research into diversity in theatre.
