...spring 2015 Webber would not remain single for long, and in the same year he married Madeleine Gurdon. By 1993, Webber would experience another hit show with the opening of Sunset Boulevard, but it did not run long due to a "lack of star power," (Hafner, p. 1). In 1997, Webber became known as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, being knighted by the Queen of England. His knighthood did not result in a burst of creativity, however, as his next two shows were considered failures, including Whistle Down the Wind, Song and Dance, and The Beautiful Game, (Biography, p. 1). Bombay Dreams was Webber's next musical, and the show has run since its opening in 2002. Webber signed a contract as part of Polygram's Really Useful Group production company, a contract under which he produced his film versions of his plays and opened new musical theatre productions. He terminated that contract in January, 2003, and noted, "I'm not really part of Really Useful anymore, apart from owning it," (Wolf, p. 67). Webber is far from sitting still these days, however. He has a new stage musical in the works known as The Woman In White, based on Wilkie Collins' classic thrilled. Critics contend Webber is perfect for adapting the thriller into a musical, since it is "a great Victorian melodrama from an era he so admires," (Martland, p. 41). Webber is also revitalizing some of his old musicals to reopen in London's West End. He also successfully wrangled the rights back from Warner Brothers for the film rights...
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...Andrew Lloyd Webber, properly styled and widely known as The Lord Lloyd-Webber, has a biography that reads as a reincarnation of historic music geniuses. He has created some of the greatest and most recognizable musicals of all time. The complexity and the appeal of his music and writing have earned him many awards including Tonys, Grammys, Academy Awards, and even a Kennedy Center Honors Award. His recognition even extends to knighthood, becoming one of the Queen’s life peers and earning him a seat as a Conservative member of the House of Lords. Lloyd Webber was born in London on March 22, 1948, to William Lloyd Webber and Jean Johnstone Lloyd. His father was the director of the London Royal College of Music and his mother, a piano teacher of the college. Lloyd Webber was a true prodigy at the age of three, he was playing the violin; at six, he was composing music; and at the age of nine, he was published in the Music Teacher magazine. While still young, Lloyd Webber pursued his childhood dream of becoming England’s Chief Inspector of ancient monuments. In 1965 he entered Westminster School as a Queen’s Scholar and began a course in history at Magdalen College, Oxford. But at the same time his true passion was calling him, and by winter of the same year he dropped out to study at the Royal College of Music. There he began to explore his interests in musical theatre. While in school, at the age of 17, Lloyd Webber received a letter from the then 21-year-old law student...
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...One day this spring, a psychiatrist named Dorothy Lewis got a call from her friend Betty, who works in New York City. Betty had just seen a Broadway play called "Frozen," written by the British playwright Bryony Lavery. "She said, 'Somehow it reminded me of you. You really ought to see it,'" Lewis recalled. Lewis asked Betty what the play was about, and Betty said that one of the characters was a psychiatrist who studied serial killers. "And I told her, 'I need to see that as much as I need to go to the moon.'" Lewis has studied serial killers for the past twenty-five years. With her collaborator, the neurologist Jonathan Pincus, she has published a great many research papers, showing that serial killers tend to suffer from predictable patterns of psychological, physical, and neurological dysfunction: that they were almost all the victims of harrowing physical and sexual abuse as children, and that almost all of them have suffered some kind of brain injury or mental illness. In 1998, she published a memoir of her life and work entitled "Guilty by Reason of Insanity." She was the last person to visit Ted Bundy before he went to the electric chair. Few people in the world have spent as much time thinking about serial killers as Dorothy Lewis, so when her friend Betty told her that she needed to see "Frozen" it struck her as a busman's holiday. But the calls kept coming. "Frozen" was winning raves on Broadway, and it had been nominated for a Tony. Whenever someone who knew Dorothy...
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...Written Assinment #2-Theme THEA 1013-X01 Summer 6/01/2011 Sunset Boulevard, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, performed Sunday February 13, 2011 At the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. Theme: The is the desire to be a famous celebrity or to prove that you don't have to go that far to show love, care, and devotion, which is clearly evident in the attention the maniacal Norma gets. I think this is the theme due to my interpretations from watching the play. The play is based around Norma Desmond and Joe Gillis. Norma is a onetime super star of the silent screen era. Norma is living in the past in her dilapidated mansion on the Los Angeles street. When washed Joe a washed up, down on his luck screenwriter accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. When Joe accidently meets her he comments, "You used to be in pictures — you used to be big," to which she retorts, "I am big ... it's the pictures that got small!" Norma courts Joe hoping to for a return to pictures, she eventually finds out that this is not to be due to Joes true love and she is being used. It all really goes wrong when Joe leaves his true love Betty because he enjoys the lavish life style Norma allows him. Joe eventually comes to his senses and attempts to leave Norma to go home. He tells Norma that her movie will never be filmed and that her fans have all but abandoned her. Angry and grief-stricken partially because...
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...Eliot regarded Four Quartets as his masterpiece and it is the work that led to his being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. It consists of four long poems, each first published separately: Burnt Norton (1936), East Coker (1940), The Dry Salvages (1941) and Little Giddings (1942). Each has five sections. Although they resist easy characterization, each begins with a rumination on the geographical location of its title, and each meditates on the nature of time in some important respect—theological, historical, physical—and its relation to the human condition. Each poem is associated with one of the four classical elements air, earth, water, and fire.Outline Research Paper Thesis Statement: T.S. Eliot wrote poems that expressed his negative views of life, the human race, and the world around him by personifying" I’m not sure what this means: "comparing and highlighting the negative facts about them. The thesis statement should be able to stand alone so you would have to elaborate T.S. Eliot wrote poems that expressed his negative views of life, the human race, and the world around him by personifying and intensifying specific aspects and metaphors in his writing. Background Information Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 Sept. 1888-4 Jan. 1965), poet, critic, and editor, was born Thomas Stearns Eliot in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Henry Ware Eliot, president of the Hydraulic-Press Brick Company, and Charlotte Champed Stearns, a former teacher, an energetic social work volunteer...
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...Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, put on by the Carey High School drama department, was well scripted, directed, and portrayed to say the least. From the moment I walked into the auditorium to watch the performance, I felt a strange atmosphere around me. However, I didn’t expect anything less; this was the last show ever in that auditorium before the school building got torn down. For anyone who graduated from Carey High School, the auditorium held some sort of significance to you. It was the place you had all your elementary programs, where you had all your sports banquets, where you were inducted into National Honor Society, where you were granted scholarships and other academic awards, where you performed all your band and choir concerts, and where you put on a costume and performed live in front of an audience. Except for this time, it was the last time they were ever going to be able to perform on that very stage in that all-too-familiar auditorium. The director, Jennifer Hill, is well known throughout the small town of Carey for the amazing shows she is fortunate enough to direct. She has been involved in the drama department at Carey High School since she was a student at that very school and got to perform on that stage. She came back after college to accept a teaching job as an English and speech teacher, and took over the role of drama club advisor and director of the school musicals and plays. She has even ventured farther from Carey High School to share her...
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...Le Fantome de l’Opera by Gaston Leroux is about a Swedish violinist’s daughter named Christine Daae who had lost her father some time ago. She lives at the Paris Opera House and she has lately taken singing lessons from a mysterious presence that calls himself “The Angel of Music” who her father had promised to send her. She believes this to be her father’s spirit. Christine’s childhood boyfriend named Raoul suddenly comes back to her life and eventually they get engaged. Christine’s “Angel of Music” turns out to be a mortal man whose face is horribly disfigured and who also has haunted the opera house as the “phantom”. He’s been living under the opera house in its cellars for years and is obsessively in love with Christine. He kidnaps Christine and Raoul must try to save her at the very bottom of the opera house. Raoul saves Christine and they live happily ever after. After Christine’s death years later, Raoul notices a red rose with a diamond ring on her grave that looks exactly like the ring the phantom gave to Christine (the phantom really did leave the ring and rose) meaning the phantom is still alive and will never ever stop loving Christine – even after she’s long gone. The Novel “Le Fantome de l’Opera” was somewhat easy to read. I also enjoyed the book 100%. I ‘am absolutely a huge “Phantom of the Opera” fan and forever will be. The plot is so romantic and mysterious to me. I did have to look up a few words, not so many though. The author Gaston Leroux definitely did...
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...AUTHOR’S NOTE Don’t listen to anything I say. INTRO What does Anything Goes, Hello Dolly!, Les Mis and Wicked have in common with anything else that has ever existed? The answer at the bottom of the page (upside down “absolutely nothing”). It’s a strange world, musical theatre; we have all seen one, been in one, fantasized about starring in one, hate one or adore one. None the matter. When it comes down to it, we must come to realize that our proud, intelligent, gun-slinging species has created the most romantic and magical source of entertainment I have ever come to witness. How do other animals entertain themselves? Dogs chase their bums, cats get their nip-fix, dolphins screw, primates throw excrement. Humans deride at our beastly brethren for their means of amusement, yet I have little doubt if you sat a gorilla in the mezzanine to watch a hoard of synchronized singers and dancers telling their story in front of him, he would think “What the hell are these idiots doing? I want my stick back.” Yet what makes it so real? Where does the allure come from? The high notes or the kick lines? The consistency or the insanity? I have but one theory. One of my favorite words is “romance”. Not, of course, in the way you are probably thinking. I’m thinking in the broadest sense of the word. Not the squishy “I love you, you love me, so-on-and-so-forth mediocrity.” Not the “Oh, Shannon” and, “William, my sweet love.” Give me a break. The romance I’m talking about is the surreality...
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...After completing The Phantom of the Opera, I remained stunned! The novel was absolutely phenomenal! I fell in love with every single aspect of the story; the characters, the plot, the setting, the themes, the figurative language. Everything, all of it was (as I will say frequently) beyond compare. Now getting on to the story itself… Like I mentioned in my first reflection my predictions were wrong and as I read on I learned what was wrong with them. For example, I predicted a forbidden love although with whom it would be with, there was in fact, a forbidden love. The forbidden love was between the rich, aristocrat, Raoul, and the poor, peasant girl, Christine Daaé who was kidnapped by the phantom, Erik. The story basically goes like so: Erik develops a great fascination with Christine Daaé so he begins to tutor her, never showing his face, Christine assumes it was an angel sent by her deceased father to help her. Then one day during her performance she reconnects with her childhood friend, Raoul, who is her true love. Erik in fear that Christine will leave him, kidnaps Christine. Then Raoul tries to get her back. Eventually, Erik gives Christine back and all that is well, ends well. While the whole story can be confusing at first impression, it is actually really interesting and a great book to read, especially for someone who loves dramas and the occasional love triangle. Now for my new insights they have a lot to do with Erik and his character. Gaston Leroux, the author,...
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...terrifying all contribute to the genre known as gothic literature. These elements can all be depicted in multiple ways however. Mysterious, supernatural beings and deeply felt emotions are the two that most directly apply to The Phantom of the Opera composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley. The Phantom of the Opera brings forth a love-crazed sociopath who strives to flourish his love with a lead soprano in an opera house. The Phantom inflicts terror and pain into “those who come between” (Webber) him and Christine, the soprano he cares for. The Phantom acts as an angel-like being, seeking to protect Christine and his opera house no matter the cost. He is an omniscient, mysterious character and throughout the play, little is revealed about his true identity. The Phantom’s deep emotional connection with Christine is also present throughout the play . and causes him to act in irrational ways The Phantom has a growing discontent with Christine due to her not loving him in “'the same way that he does to her. Throughout the play, The Phantom kills off the surrounding characters in order to draw himself closer to Christine, yet finally vanishes into thin air when he finally wins her love (Webber). Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein focuses on a dedicated scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who’s infatuation with creating new life lead to the creation of a repulsive creature. Frankenstein’s Monster is successfully created from various body parts and chemicals...
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...LONDON THEATRE HISTORY AND FACTS Many London theatres have existed for over a century, while some of them were even established before this. Replete with history, each theater in London's theatre district - the West End - has a special story to tell. Known as "Theatreland," because of the presence of over 40 theatres, this performing arts hub is also an up market and elite area where some of the most famous actors and businessmen rub shoulders. If you are a die-hard theatre fan, then a visit to the London Theatres district is a must. Theatres have always been a balm for Londoners. Since time memorial, theatres proved to be the single most important source of entertainment and enjoyment for a city that was overcrowded, rapidly changing, and losing its culture. Every day on the streets of London, people stood by and cheered as thieves were beaten or two individuals fought for no real reason, because people simply took whatever entertainment they could find, wherever they could find it. But today, the audience is thankfully more civilised. Today, London Theatres are more than just a venue of a show penned by a famous playwright. Today these theatres are wonderful lessons in history, changing times, and testament to the growth in dramatics around the world. Though privately owned, London theatres have a great character, refined air, and immense magic. A visit to some of the most cherished of all London Theatres such as the London Palladium, Fortune Theatre, Ambassadors...
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...The soloist Ashley Calderon impressed me so much because she has such a potent as well as soft voice. She interpreted “Think of me’’ a hard vocal piece of Andrew Lloyd Webber. This song requires high notes and she hit them great. Ashley sang this song beautifully creating a lovely as well as dramatic sound and feel. The maestro Sergio playing the piano moved in perfect harmony with the imposing voice of Ashley. The following song was “A la Antigua” composed by the cuban pianist Ernesto Lecuona. Professor Sergio demonstrated brilliant skills with this song because he played this solo piano masterfully. I could notice that he is an excellent professional. The next vocalist was professor Edonis Princivil who performed “Melodrama” of Pierpaolo Guerrini and Paolo Luciani, “La Donna e Mobile”of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto, and “Polonaise in A Major” of composer Frédéric Chopin. My favorite song of professor...
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...Intelligence is diverse because everybody thinks in their own different way; everybody's mind is special in their own way. Intelligence is dynamic because it is interactive, the brain isn't divided into compartments, but spread out. Intelligence is distinct for example, Robinson shares a story of Gillian Lynne who was struggling in school and found it very difficult to sit still. Instead of punishing her, she was put into dance lessons and became a famous dancer, responsible for choreographing for Andrew Lloyd Webber. 3. Do you think the educational hierarchy should be flipped? Should the arts be at the top and math and language at the bottom? Why or why not? No, I do not think that educational hiearchy should be flipped because I think that the arts and math/language should both be at the same level on a hierarchy. I think if you really want to make a unique person, then they need to be given the same opportunities in both, and be allowed to choose which ones they want to pursue. 4. How can adults encourage a child’s creativity? An adult can encourage a child's creativity by allowing them to pursue want they want. The adult shoud be supportive and loving of the child's...
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...Did You Know This About Argentina? “Don’t cry for me Argentina” is a phrase I am sure everybody has heard of at least once in their lifetime. The phrase is from a 1978 musical named Evita and was originally written and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The most recent remake starred Madonna as the lead character Eva Peron belting out this popular song in the musical. Eva Peron was in fact a real person she was the second wife to the Argentine President Juan Peron and she served as the first lady in Argentina from 1946 until she died in 1952. But this paper is not about Eva Peron but it is about Argentina, she was just an influential member of this country and a good way to start my essay off! (Musical Heaven) Argentina is a country located in South America at the southernmost part of the continent. The country borders Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia. The country was first founded in a 1502 voyage by Amerigo Vespucci with Spain establishing a permanent colony on the site in 1580 where Buenos Aires is now. Spain held Argentina until a revolution declared its independence from Spain on July 9, 1816. (Argentina, Country Reports) Argentina’s national hero for this accomplishment is General Jose de San Martin. After the country declared its independence different groups within Argentina waged war on each other trying to do what was best for the country, each with its own agenda of course, but unity was finally established and the constitution was written and signed...
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...secret lover, Exstasis, who knows where the angels’ wings lie. Exstasis delivers supremacy with a horrid personal cost (Smith). Mr. Whitacre created music with “whooshing synthesizers and thumping techno beats, accented by two taiko drummers and rich melancholy contributions from a splendid cellist, Fang Fang Xu.” The solos, sung by bright men and women, and ensembles gave out the idea of a piece created by a younger Andrew Lloyd Webber (Smith). The cast of this musical has performed this many times giving Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings the title of Winner of the ASCAP Harold Arlen award (“Eric Whitacre (b1970) on Hyperion Records”). The musical presented the audience with a group of angels who has not found their wings, but Exstasis, the leader’s, Logos’, secret lover, knows where the angels’ wings lie. A war comes between the group of angels and the deceiving character, Extasis. To better illustrate the war and scenes in the musical, the music created had fast beats and bright solos and ensembles to illustrate a piece that a younger Andrew Lloyd Webber would have created. Without Eric Whitacre’s style, his projects, such as the Virtual Choir and Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, would not have seen...
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