Andrew Lloyd Webber's new Profumo musical provisionally titled Stephen Ward
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London Theatre Direct
Exciting news about Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical surfaces.
Theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber has almost completed his new musical based on the events surrounding the Profumo Affair back in 1963. Working once again with lyricist Don Black and playwright Christopher Hampton who he previously worked with on Sunset Boulevard. This marks his first new musical since Love Never Dies, the sequel to his legendary Phantom Of The Opera.
Talking about the new musical, Lloyd Webber explains, "The show is far more about the fate of the scapegoat of the scandal, Stephen Ward, than Profumo." Hence the current working title of the musical, STEPHEN WARD.
Stephen Ward was the pimp who introduced Christine Keeler and John Profumo together. Lloyd Webber has previously mentioned that the relationship between Keeler and Profumo will not be the main focus of the musical and would only make up a few minutes of the story.
The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Soviet spy, followed by his lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of Profumo and damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government. Macmillan himself resigned a few months later because of ill health.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is arguably the most commercially successful composer in history, achieving considerable success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. In total, Lloyd Webber has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass.
Lloyd Webber's honours include receiving knighthood in 1992, a peerage from the British Government for Services to Music, seven Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, fourteen Ivor Novello Awards, seven Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006.
As soon as we know more information about the Steven Ward Musical, we'll let you know!