Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Unmasked by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Unmasked: A Memoir

Title: Unmasked
Author: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Published: 2018
Call #: 782.14092 LLO

 Andrew Lloyd Webber is a talented composer, of that there is no doubt, but he is also conversational, funny and engaging in this story of his life and career.   This is a no-holds-barred memoir and can get quite cheeky at times. He focuses almost entirely on his theatrical career and only briefly mentions his other passions for art collecting and architecture.  The early chapters deal with his rather idyllic childhood, but the bulk of the memoir is focused on his career and rightly so.  He takes the reader on a journey through each show, beginning with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through the opening night of Phantom of the Opera. The stories behind each musical are fascinating and the reader will never look at them the same way again.  Lloyd Webber also delves into his relationships with Tim Rice, Sarah Brightman, Don Black and others, although the anecdotes involving them are often cut short for various reasons.  This is a definite recommendation for fans of Lloyd Webber, musical theater or even just theater in general.  

Michaelle S.
Popular Materials Assistant