Why Andrew Lloyd Weber is a Genius

I wanted to take the time this week musical theatre enthusiasts to argue a point to the converted. Andrew Lloyd Weber is a genius, despite his many idiosyncrasies.

Simon Morris readers if you are really musical theatre enthusiasts you must know about Andrew Lloyd-Weber. Even people who don’t like musicals know him. He’s the man responsible for some of the greatest musical productions in history. He’s the man responsible for my own personal favourite, Evita.

However he isn’t universally praised. There are a lot of people, both in the industry and out in the public, who have a less than favourable view of the musical theatre icon and this has, in some eyes, tarnished his reputation. This is for two reasons.

The first is how difficult his productions can be on their stars. Patti LuPone played the original Evita and she had a lot to say about the production’s creator. She often said that he must hate women to make a part that difficult; a part that required so much singing and dancing and provided no relief whatsoever.

So the first criticism is that he doesn’t consider the needs and capabilities of those people attached to his projects. There’s certainly been evidence over the years to support this type of claim.

The second reason is that he is very hit and miss. He created the masterpiece that is the Phantom of the Opera; a musical that has gripped minds and hearts throughout every single land in this world. The Phantom of the Opera is often touted as one of his best works and many think that it will live on long after his death.

However he decided to write a sequel for this much loved production. The sequel, Love Never Dies, was the biggest flop of his career. It was unbelievably awful. Nobody, not even his most ardent of fans could stand it. It was so bad it was actually offensive.

So does this make Andrew Lloyd-Weber as maligned a figure as his critics would have him? No, I don’t think it does, He certainly has his faults but all the best artistic geniuses do. You don’t reach perfect without screwing up. You don’t reach perfect without playing it safe.

That’s the key to Lloyd-Weber’s success; he doesn’t play it safe. It means that whilst he fails and does so drastically, when he succeeds, he creates something that is destined to entrance audiences for generations to come.