Richard Stilgoe News

This weekend, BroadwayWorld will be presenting an illuminating InDepth InterView with legendary composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber all about the enchanting new performance capture film version of his PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES. Until that chat, letÂ’s take a look back at some of the finest Andrew Lloyd Webber-related performances related to the entertainment dynasty built upon his operatic pop musical version of the classic Gaston Leroux novel that is about to celebrate its 10,000th performance on Broadway later this month, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, as well as its continuation, LOVE NEVER DIES, and the two revivals of his two classic 70s hit stage collaborations with previous InDepth InterView participant Sir Tim Rice coming back to Broadway in a big way - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA. Plus, a look at the new Simon Phillips-directed production of LOVE NEVER DIES coming to Fathom-equipped movie theaters nationwide on February 28 and March 7, with DVD & Blu-ray after that, as well as the PHANTOM 25 DVD & Blu-ray being released in the US on February 7. It's a busy time of year for phans, clearly! Fetch your favorite mask and check out these four Andrew Lloyd Webber delicacies before they arrive! (more...)

In honor of this week’s US release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on DVD/Blu-ray - PHANTOM 25 for short - today we are focusing on the multitude of attributes that have made Andrew Lloyd Webber’s unforgettable gothic musical the most successful entertainment of all time, now in its 25th year onstage and about to reach 10,000 performances on Broadway, where it is the reigning longest running show of all time. The gargantuan excitement generated by and the enthusiastic reception enjoyed by PHANTOM for audiences worldwide is unprecedented, yet, the new ultimate presentation of the show - PHANTOM 25 - is even more spectacular and thrilling than any iteration of PHANTOM on any stage or screen thus far. Bringing together the cast of a lifetime with the electricity of a live audience, the HD preservation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL is positively peerless in its sleekness, precision and polish of presentation. Never before - not even in the vaunted hands and cords of original show stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford - has the show been this contemporary, sexual and hypnotizing. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom brings a rawness and austerity to the role that commands attention and Sierra Boggess is, in a word, supreme, as the young ingénue under the Phantom’s watchful musical tutelage. So, too, does Hadley Fraser’s perfectly painted Raoul hit the right mark, as do the rest of the exceptional cast in their commitment to making clear-cut, strong and colorful impressions in their roles. The LED-enhanced set is an imaginative reworking of the designs by Maria Bjornson and the musical staging is smooth and assured thanks to original show choreographer Gillian Lynne. Yet, the star of PHANTOM 25 is, unquestionably, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rapturous, rich and enveloping score. Bringing together an impressive and inspired assortment of genres in creating the quintessential pop opera, Lloyd Webber employs elements of grand opera, opera bouffe, operetta and musical theatre, as well as incorporates a diverse range of musical styles - even a little heavy metal guitar in the title song, as we shall see (and hear). The score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest achievements and stands tall alongside his other classic scores for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, CATS, SUNSET BOULEVARD among many other international hit shows. Indeed, the story and score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is so very complex and decadent as to allow for a continuation of the story, score, characters and overall themes in the form of the new musical, LOVE NEVER DIES, which premiered in a new version in Australia last year and whose story traces the relationship of the Phantom, Christine and Raoul from the end of the original show all the way from Paris to Coney Island ten years later where PHANTASMA is the show everyone must experience thanks to a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows beyond the carousel. In today’s celebration of PHANTOM 25, we will take a look at the original music videos, the legendary Hal Prince production on Broadway and in the West End, the forthcoming LOVE NEVER DIES - coming to Fathom-equipped theaters nationwide later this month - all with a special spotlight on the most phantastic anniversary concert of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. (more...)

Today in 1987, Starlight Express opened at the Gershwin Theatre, where it ran for 761 performances. Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) and Arlene Phillips (choreography), with later revisions by Don Black (lyrics) and David Yazbek (music and lyrics for the 2nd US tour). The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates. (more...)

A Song Cycle for Soho, running at Soho Theatre from 27 February until 3 March, is a musical song cycle that explores Soho's rich history. (more...)

Check out this teaser trailer for Cameron Mackintosh's new UK national tour production of PHANTOM THE OPERA, Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenal musical success. It features a glimpse of what we might expect from the new design by Paul Brown and new costumes by Maria Björnson. (more...)

Today we are talking to one of the busiest lyricists in show business, Glenn Slater, all about todayÂ’s movie theater showing of his collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, LOVE NEVER DIES - a continuation of the worldÂ’s most successful show, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - and the spectacular Simon Phillips-directed Australian production of it filmed for the ages and presented in hundreds of movie theaters across the country, with an encore cinema showing on March 7 prior to its DVD/Blu-ray release in the Spring. Besides discussing all aspects of the writing of the show and its West End debut, Slater also elaborates on the rewriting of the show and how this new production and unprecedented in-theater presentation is the ultimate realization of Lloyd WebberÂ’s dream vision for the musical drama - something the Lord shared with me himself when he recently did this column. (more...)

A Song Cycle for Soho, running at Soho Theatre from 27 February until 3 March, is a musical song cycle that explores Soho's rich history. (more...)

In honor of this week’s US release of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL on DVD/Blu-ray - PHANTOM 25 for short - today we are focusing on the multitude of attributes that have made Andrew Lloyd Webber’s unforgettable gothic musical the most successful entertainment of all time, now in its 25th year onstage and about to reach 10,000 performances on Broadway, where it is the reigning longest running show of all time. The gargantuan excitement generated by and the enthusiastic reception enjoyed by PHANTOM for audiences worldwide is unprecedented, yet, the new ultimate presentation of the show - PHANTOM 25 - is even more spectacular and thrilling than any iteration of PHANTOM on any stage or screen thus far. Bringing together the cast of a lifetime with the electricity of a live audience, the HD preservation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL is positively peerless in its sleekness, precision and polish of presentation. Never before - not even in the vaunted hands and cords of original show stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford - has the show been this contemporary, sexual and hypnotizing. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom brings a rawness and austerity to the role that commands attention and Sierra Boggess is, in a word, supreme, as the young ingénue under the Phantom’s watchful musical tutelage. So, too, does Hadley Fraser’s perfectly painted Raoul hit the right mark, as do the rest of the exceptional cast in their commitment to making clear-cut, strong and colorful impressions in their roles. The LED-enhanced set is an imaginative reworking of the designs by Maria Bjornson and the musical staging is smooth and assured thanks to original show choreographer Gillian Lynne. Yet, the star of PHANTOM 25 is, unquestionably, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rapturous, rich and enveloping score. Bringing together an impressive and inspired assortment of genres in creating the quintessential pop opera, Lloyd Webber employs elements of grand opera, opera bouffe, operetta and musical theatre, as well as incorporates a diverse range of musical styles - even a little heavy metal guitar in the title song, as we shall see (and hear). The score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest achievements and stands tall alongside his other classic scores for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA, CATS, SUNSET BOULEVARD among many other international hit shows. Indeed, the story and score of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is so very complex and decadent as to allow for a continuation of the story, score, characters and overall themes in the form of the new musical, LOVE NEVER DIES, which premiered in a new version in Australia last year and whose story traces the relationship of the Phantom, Christine and Raoul from the end of the original show all the way from Paris to Coney Island ten years later where PHANTASMA is the show everyone must experience thanks to a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows beyond the carousel. In today’s celebration of PHANTOM 25, we will take a look at the original music videos, the legendary Hal Prince production on Broadway and in the West End, the forthcoming LOVE NEVER DIES - coming to Fathom-equipped theaters nationwide later this month - all with a special spotlight on the most phantastic anniversary concert of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. (more...)

A Song Cycle for Soho, running at Soho Theatre from 27 February until 3 March, is a musical song cycle that explores Soho's rich history. (more...)

This weekend, BroadwayWorld will be presenting an illuminating InDepth InterView with legendary composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber all about the enchanting new performance capture film version of his PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES. Until that chat, letÂ’s take a look back at some of the finest Andrew Lloyd Webber-related performances related to the entertainment dynasty built upon his operatic pop musical version of the classic Gaston Leroux novel that is about to celebrate its 10,000th performance on Broadway later this month, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, as well as its continuation, LOVE NEVER DIES, and the two revivals of his two classic 70s hit stage collaborations with previous InDepth InterView participant Sir Tim Rice coming back to Broadway in a big way - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA. Plus, a look at the new Simon Phillips-directed production of LOVE NEVER DIES coming to Fathom-equipped movie theaters nationwide on February 28 and March 7, with DVD & Blu-ray after that, as well as the PHANTOM 25 DVD & Blu-ray being released in the US on February 7. It's a busy time of year for phans, clearly! Fetch your favorite mask and check out these four Andrew Lloyd Webber delicacies before they arrive! (more...)

Broadway’s longest-running production of all time celebrates a triumphant quarter century on stage with The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, coming to Blu-rayTM – with perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound- DVD, On Demand and Digital Download on February 7, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. On October 2, 2011, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh marked the 25th anniversary of their beloved musical extravaganza, “The Phantom of the Opera,” with a lavishly staged production at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall that was beamed live via satellite to cinemas across the globe.The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall marks the first time a live performance of the blockbuster musical has been made available for home viewing, making it a must-have anniversary release for fans everywhere. (more...)

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd WebberÂ’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. and directed by Harold Prince, the musical phenomenon is in its unprecedented 24th year in New York, playing at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street). (more...)

Champagne. Soap bubbles. Baked beans. Melted bon-bons. Four images - all part and parcel of perhaps the most famous scene he ever committed to celluloid (which, in this instance, is definitely saying something grand) - that seemingly conjure up so much of the universe of peerless British stage and film director Ken Russell. With or without Ann-Margret in a white leather cat-suit, RussellÂ’s TOMMY is one of the most unique and enduring movie musicals of the later half of the twentieth century and his other music-based films provide a plethora of information and insight (not all of it factual and much of it often quite admittedly wrongheaded) - so, for those alone, Russell is due much praise as far as theatre fans are concerned. Yet, with WOMEN IN LOVE, Russell mastered a quite different milieu - that of Victorian sexual politics - and brought the leading lady of that picture to both an Oscar nomination (which Ann-Margret also received for TOMMY) and a win; Glenda Jackson - a frequent Russell collaborator - taking top honors for her work. Look no further than RussellÂ’s adaptation of SALOME - or even JacksonÂ’s cameo in THE BOY FRIEND - for more of their palpable, playful, endlessly enjoyable onscreen rapport. So, too, did Russell give Kathleen Turner and Theresa Russell the roles of their careers with CRIMES OF PASSION and WHORE, respectively, and thatÂ’s to say nothing of his long-standing and loving actor-director relationship with Oliver Reed, whose best work resides in RussellÂ’s still-banned Catholicism and exorcism consideration, THE DEVILS. Both an actorÂ’s director and a directorÂ’s director, Russell was always passionately committed to his vision for the potential property and that was both a gift and a curse. The eccentricities and excesses may be overwhelming for some, but over the course of his fifty-year career, Ken Russell broke down barriers and created films that we may enjoy, analyze, debate and cherish for many decades to come. (more...)

According to Whatsonstage.com, Starlight Express be launching a UK tour in 2012, as the show has 'recently appeared on a number of regional theatre websites.' Having last toured in 2004, the 2012 tour will be produced by Bill Kenwright Limited. (more...)

In March 2012, Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera begins a new tour of the UK. LES MISERABLES tour director, Laurence Conner, is on board to direct the production. Check out a promo video for he production below! (more...)

It was March 12, 1994 when a young, 15 year-old Rob Diamond saw THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Broadway for the first time, and came home on ‘cloud nine’, my life forever changed. I still remember vividly falling asleep that night listening to and discovering Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton and more on the show’s original cast recording. I did this listening to a cassette tape that my parents had (which I had of course never before listened to), on my Walkman. (more...)

In honor of this SundayÂ’s once-in-a-lifetime worldwide live movie theater showing of the 25th anniversary celebration of Andrew Lloyd WebberÂ’s PHANTOM OF THE OPERA by Fathom - the same company who recently brought us LES MISERABLES, Stephen SondheimÂ’s COMPANY, and ShakespeareÂ’s Globe Series, among others - today we are going to take a look at many of the various aspects of the worldÂ’s most successful entertainment as it swings like a wonton chandelier into cinemas worldwide direct from the Royal Albert Hall for the next two weeks. By going back and revisiting the hallowed origins of the haunting operatic musical - Hal Prince, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman included - as well as a look at the various iterations of the show since its inception - such as the 2004 film version, PHANTOM VEGAS and the musical sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES - perhaps we, too, can bring back the music and memories and magical moments of so many years ago - 25 to be exact - with this special spotlight of illumination on all aspects of what makes PHANTOM a sensation, now and forever. (more...)

The new musical A Letter to Harvey Milk, based on the short story by Lesléa Newman will enjoy an invite-only staged reading in New York on Monday, September 26 & Tuesday, September 27, 2011. (more...)

The new musical A Letter to Harvey Milk, based on the short story by Lesléa Newman will enjoy an invite-only staged reading in New York on Monday, September 26 & Tuesday, September 27, 2011. (more...)

If Joe's last name sounds familiar it is because his father, Richard Stilgoe, is the famed lyricist of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express, and also contributed lyrics to Phantom of the Opera and Cats. Joe's formidable piano technique and vocal stylings, which seem so effortless, actually stem from a classical training. This extremely entertaining show is part Victor Borge/Oscar Peterson/Steve Ross/Steve Martin/Michael Feinstein. Joe has appeared at Ronnie Scott's, the Royal Festival Hall, The London Jazz Festival, The Edinburgh Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and in jazz clubs from Berlin to Kuala Lumpur. Michael Putman Estwanik of the American Songbook Project is introducing Joe to Manhattan. He will appearing at the Metropolitan Room Wed Sept 14th at 7 PM. (more...)