ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
“Unmasked,” a new work devoted to the music and stories of Andrew Lloyd Webber, will premiere at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Sept. 27-Oct. 28, to kick off the Millburn theater’s 2018-19 season.
According to a press release, the work “will feature some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most iconic work and the stories behind its creation, along with new music and memories from his extraordinary life and career.”
Also, according to the press release, “It will include some of Lloyd Webber’s most recognizable characters interacting with one another for the first time, and new takes on his music, including a cappella versions of his songs and an often wry look at the genre he has, for many, come to define.”
Lloyd Webber, 69, has composed music for “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” “Sunset Boulevard” and other musicals.
Lloyd Webber co-created “Unmasked” with Richard Curtis (whose work as a film director, producer and screenwriter includes “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill” and “Love Actually”) and John Doyle (whose Broadway directing credits include “Sweeney Todd,” “The Color Purple” and “Company”).
“I’m so excited to be involved in ‘Unmasked’,” said Curtis in the press release. “We start from the position of having in the show a huge collection of some of the greatest songs ever written for musical theatre — and then learn more about Andrew and his way of working and how the music relates to him and his life. With luck there’ll be some very fun new stuff, too. I love Andrew and his work — in real life, he has always made me laugh — and in the theatre, a lot of his music has made me cry. I’m thrilled to be part of something that I hope will make the audience do both, laugh and cry.”
Paper Mill season subscriptions will be available in March, and single tickets will go on sale Aug. 20. The rest of the season will be announced by the end of this month. Visit PaperMill.org
Lloyd Webber will also publish a memoir titled “Unmasked,” March 6, and release an album, Unmasked: The Platinum Collection, on March 16. The album will be available in two- and four-CD formats, and include classic recordings as well as new versions of his songs by Lana Del Rey, Nicole Scherzinger and Gregory Porter.
