Get the very best of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical genius—in one sitting.
Contributed By Yong Yung Shin
Delia Hannah performing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”.
If you never had the chance to catch any of the world-renowned show tunes by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the grandmaster of musical scores, The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber will bring you up to speed on all of them in one night. It is currently performing at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Here are the top five reasons to catch it.
- You don’t have to sit through the whole evening to get to the best bits.The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber condenses all the “big moments” from hit musicals such as Evita, The Phantom Of The Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sunset Boulevard, Woman In White and the current Love Never Dies into one slick production.
- You get the whole range of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.Webber’s knack for creating memorable music transcends genres, and the producers of the show have taken pains to showcase his diverse sounds, from classic ballads such as “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” and the operatic “Pie Jesu” from Requiem to rock favorite “Superstar” and “One Rock ‘N’ Roll Too Many”, the groovy rock n’ roll number from Starlight Express.
- You can watch an all-star cast.Many of the cast members have played lead roles in productions like Cats, Mamma Mia and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Delia Hannah, one of Australia’s biggest stage names, has played Grizabella in Cats, Eva in Evita and Fantine in Les Misérables. Trisha Crowe is an acclaimed Australian soprano singer, whose performances of The Phantom Of The Opera’s “All I Ask Of You” and “Pie Jesu” were some of the most climatic moments in the show.The male cast members include Michael Cormick, an accomplished stage and screen actor who has held lead roles in The Phantom of the Opera, Calamity Jane, Romeo & Juliet, Chess and Evita. Pairing an enigmatic stage presence with a voice that is strong yet astoundingly crisp, his rendition of “Sunset Boulevard” is nothing short of scene-stealing.
- You see the cast performing at their highest capacity.Contrary to what one might think, it is actually more demanding to be performing in such a production as opposed to the usual start-to-end musical. Explains Hannah, “Where typically the principal members in a show only sing on average two big numbers, in this production we are singing up to four.” She is referring to the “money notes”—the most challenging parts of a song that people pay to watch; the parts where the singer belts out his or her most impressive vocal ability. “There is a lot of additional pressure.”
- You are reminded of the sheer magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.Despite having a father who was afraid that too much formal training would “educate the music out of him”, Webber trained at the Royal College Of Music, and has since gone on to become the most commercially successful composer of all time. His music has such strong melody lines that “everybody can hum them by the end of a show,” says Hannah. Adds Shaun Rennie, who played opposite Lea Salonga in the Philippines’ production of Cats, “His music has this ability to very quickly evoke emotion in listeners.”
The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber is performing from July 7-17 at the Grand Theater, Marina Bay Sands. Tickets from S$70 to S$175 from Sistic or www.marinabaysands.com/ticketing or call +65 6688 8826.
