Andrew Lloyd Webber's STEPHEN WARD Set to Open at Aldwych Theatre in November 2013
By: Nicole Rosky Jun. 14, 2013
According to the New York Post, Andrew Lloyd Webber recently announced that his new STEPHEN WARD musical, based on the Profumo Affair, will begin previews at the Aldwych Theatre this October with opening night set for November 2103. The musical features lyrics by Don Black, a book by Christopher Hampton and direction by Richard Eyre- all of whom where at Lloyd Webber's estate to preview excerpts from the show at his annual Sydmonton Festival. Official casting has not yet been announced.
Read the original report here.
As BWW previously reported, Alexander Hanson is at the top of the list to play Ward and was there for the Sydmonton preview.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical is based on the events surrounding the 1963 Profumo Affair, particularly Stephen Ward, who was the pimp that brought showgirl Christine Keeler and John Profumo together. The relationship between Keeler and Profumo will make up only about seven minutes of the narrative.
The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal. John Profumo, Secretary of State for War, became involved with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy; he then lied in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forcing the resignation of Profumo and damaging the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government.
Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre, and has been referred to as "the most commercially successful composer in history." Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass. He has also gained a number of honours, including a knighthood in 1992, followed by a peerage from the British Government for services to Music, seven Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, fourteen Ivor Novello Awards, seven Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006.
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