ebber and Rice was not an instant success, as the duo penned a few pop sons and one musical, The Likes of Us, which was a failure. However, The Likes of Us paved the way and opened the doors of musical theater for the pairsÆ first smash hit, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in 1968, (Biography, p. 1). Three years later, the duo had an enormous hit that would be turned into a movie, as was Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar. At this point Webber and Rice parted company due to creative differences and Webber composed a musical with a new lyricist, Alan Ayckburn, (Andrew, p. 1). This partnership lasted for only one musical, a less successful production known as Jeeves. Webber reunited with Rice and the two produced their next smash hit, Evita. The next musical to come would be Cats, based on the poems of T.S. Eliot. According to Hafner (p. 1), ôCats was an incredible hit and beat A Chorus Line for the longest running musical and highest grossing musical.ö Cats also made Webber universally acclaimed and independently wealthy as well as globally famous.
Starlight Express was the next musical, though it was less successful despite costing more than any musical in history to produce. Already married to Sarah Hugill, Webber met his muse and singing sensation Sara Brightman the year Starlight Express debuted, 1984, and soon married her, (Hafner, p. 1). Brightman would star in WebberÆs next two productions, a serious piece of music for Mass and the smash hit, The Phantom of the Opera. BrightmanÆs singing talent inspired Webber and the two shared a brief period of creative productivity. Webber began to write and design his works with BrightmanÆs unique talents in mind. As Gaby (p. 1) explains, ôIn the mid-80s Webber wrote the part of Christine in Phantom of the Opera specifically for Brightman, building the music around her unusual
...