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| re: NJC: Freddie is defeated by a Phantom | |
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Pudding 11:10 pm UTC 06/23/08 |
| In reply to: | re: NJC: Freddie is defeated by a Phantom - Wilbury 11:50 am UTC 06/23/08 |
| knoBENd ELTON is the worst lyricist Lloyd Webber has ever worked with, this Phantom is going to go down quicker than a hooker in a back alley. > Soo... wait, all of that is true? > > Weird. I dunno why but it felt like I was reading > unsubstantiated gossip or something. Or like it was a bad > a joke that was about to be undercut with "then he told me > he was kidding all along". > > Still, I've never seen nor listened to Phantom in its > entirety, get bored everytime, so this is really skin off > my nose. > > > > > Freddie is defeated by a Phantom > > Last updated at 2:17 AM on 17th June 2008 > > > > > > The news had theatregoers on the edge of their seats in > > anticipation - a high-octane artistic collaboration > > between composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and best-selling > > writer Frederick Forsyth. Their plan: to create a sequel > > to Lord Lloyd-Webber's smash-hit, Phantom Of The Opera. > > > > Now, with the first act of the new musical about to be > > performed privately for friends of the composer and his > > wife Madeleine, Forsyth has been telling friends he has > > had a narrow escape. > > > > The Day Of The Jackal author accepted the commission with > > alacrity last year and quickly produced a plot line based > > on his 2000 novel, The Phantom Of Manhattan, in which the > > facially disfigured hero Erik moves from the sewers of > > Paris to build a new life in New York. > > > > But shortly after delivering the manuscript, Forsyth > > received a letter from Lloyd Webber saying he had changed > > his mind. Then he learned that comedian and writer Ben > > Elton had been drafted in instead. > > > > "Freddie thought it a bit strange, but then Andrew is very > > exacting," says a friend of Forsyth. > > > > "Apparently since dropping Freddie, he has had a string of > > librettists, lyricists, directors and others working on > > the project. He finally ended up with Ben Elton, whom he > > collaborated with on The Beautiful Game." > > > > Elton's new storyline has been worked on by American > > lyricist Glenn Slater, who penned Disney's The Little > > Mermaid as well as the musical of the film Sister Act. > > Hairspray director Jack O'Brien has also been involved. > > > > The title has been changed to Phantom: Once Upon Another > > Time and it will be premiered next month at Lloyd Webber's > > private Sydmonton Festival, near his country pile in > > Hampshire. > > > > The peer often uses this venue to trial new ideas. Taking > > part will be the final six Nancys from the BBC reality > > show, I'd Do Anything, with contestant Rachel Tucker, who > > was voted off in the final stages, singing the role of Meg > > Giry. > > > > Forsyth remains nonplussed with his rejection. > > > > > > "I don't get miffed over these things," he tells me. "It > > is news to me that he has a first act ready. Andrew is an > > extraordinarily secretive man. > > > > "I have no idea how much of my story has been retained. He > > has been chopping and changing all the time. It is a > > matter of complete mystification to me." > > > > A spokeswoman for Lloyd Webber says: "Andrew is planning > > to entertain guests with the first performance of the > > Phantom sequel at Sydmonton, where he likes to try out new > > productions." > > > > > > > > | |
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