Andrew Lloyd Webber has withdrawn his music from Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, the production he developed with longtime collaborator Tim Rice. Rice says the dispute could mean the celebrated songwriting team never works together again.
Lloyd Webber and Rice are responsible for some of musical theatre’s most enduring successes, including Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, first performed in 1968, Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971 and Evita in 1978.
Their collaborations have been rare in the years since. They reunited to write “You Must Love Me” for the 1996 film adaptation of Evita, starring Madonna, while Rice later supplied additional lyrics for Lloyd Webber’s 2011 musical The Wizard Of Oz.
The pair unexpectedly joined forces again last year for Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, which made its debut at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Their latest partnership has now fractured, with reports suggesting Lloyd Webber has severed ties with the show before its revival at Alexandra Palace in north London next month.
Rice said Lloyd Webber’s songs had been “ditched” after the 78-year-old Oscar-winning composer withdrew his score from the production.
Speaking to The Times, Rice said: “Andrew really didn’t want to continue with the show.
“He basically withdrew his score. He really did not feel it was the sort of thing he wanted to do. Andrew is more concerned with much bigger productions.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber (left) has withdrawn his music from Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, a production he created with Tim Rice (right)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (left) and Tim Rice (right) in 1970. The pair went on to create three major musicals: Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, first performed in 1968; Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971; and Evita in 1978
Lloyd Webber has challenged that account, saying the show’s producers, Donald and Eva Rice — Tim Rice’s children — decided not to use the music he wrote for the Birmingham production for two reasons.
The composer said he was told the show required “further work”, but that his schedule made it “impossible” for him to be involved.
In a statement, Lloyd Webber also said he had been asked to sign away the music rights for five years, well in advance, without having any approval over how the score would be used in a production he had not seen.
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“The two felt unable to allow me this basic approval which even a rookie writer would expect,” he said.
Rice said the show was “not up [Lloyd Webber’s] alley” and confirmed that he is now revising the songs with composer Howard Goodall.
When asked whether Goodall’s new songs were better than Lloyd Webber’s original compositions, Rice replied: “I have no comment to make on that.”
Lloyd Webber, meanwhile, wished “the charming show every success”, adding that “Howard Goodall is a great composer and a really great choice to replace me”.
Rice, who also wrote the lyrics for The Lion King, said he could not predict whether he and Lloyd Webber would collaborate again.
The pair’s influential creative partnership began in the 1960s, after Rice wrote to the young Lloyd Webber offering his services as a lyricist.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat became their first publicly performed collaboration at the 1972 Edinburgh International Festival. The musical later opened in London before transferring to Broadway.
The duo’s next production, Jesus Christ Superstar, began life as a 1970 concept album. It was an immediate success, which led to it being revived numerous times in the West End and on Broadway, as well as being adapted for the big screen.
Another huge success came in the form of Eva Perón, the former first lady of Argentina. Evita opened on the West End in 1978 with Elaine Paige in the title role.
The show has been revived on multiple occasions, with most recently Rachel Zegler taking up the lead role at the London Palladium last year.
The trio of musicals were all adapted for film and, between them, won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, translated into numerous languages and performed in more than 80 countries.
After Evita, they went their separate ways, with Lord Lloyd-Webber creating Cats, Phantom Of The Opera and Starlight Express; and Sir Tim doing Chess and The Lion King (working with Elton John on the film and the musical).
Lloyd Webber, who also owns six London theatres, is said to have built up a £516m fortune. Rice was estimated to be worth £150m by The Sunday Times Rich List in 2020
