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 to The Phantom of the Opera for $1 million-plus, a film that is now in post-production and due for December release, (Wolf, p. 67).

Despite this flurry of activity and a spate of projects in the works, onlookers maintain that Webber needs a true smash hit to recapture his previous fame and fortune. The Woman in White is a show that some contend might be his next smash, Aside from his musical productions, film productions, and business interests, Andrew Lloyd Webber also maintains other areas of interest in his personal life related to the arts. One of these is his enormous fascination and desire for fine artworks. As a collector, Lloyd Webber's art tastes are varied, including collections of Pre-Raphaelite artists, 20th century artists, including Picasso, and American Jewish art from the second World War, (Grant, p. 38). Webber's interest in the Victorian era prompted him to collect art from that period even as a teenager. He bought his first painting at the age of 15, a drawing by Rossetti he acquired from a few dollars because many people of the period considered Victorian art worthless, (Grant, p. 38). Ironically, Lloyd Webber's interest in art may run deeper than his interest in music. As he once confided to a friend, "I write music in order to be able to follow my passion and buy art," (Grant, p. 38). Webber is generous in loaning works from his various collections to the Royal Academy. Quite often his works of art have been incorporated into the scenery of his musical theatre productions, including The Phantom of The Opera.

Another occupation of Webber's outside his role as composer is his role as an advocate to solicit greater funding for the provision of music in England's schools. Webber recently went before the House in order to argue that corollary funding of $60 million provided by the Music Standards Fund, to protect and expand LEA music service provision in public schools, was be