Post by Tanith Messenger on Sept 14, 2011 15:03:48 GMT
Schools to be able to perform Cats and Phantom for the first time
Published Wednesday 14 September 2011 at 11:21 by Natalie Woolman
Cats and The Phantom of the Opera can now be performed by academic schools and colleges for the first time.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has licensed both the shows for school and college performances in the UK and Ireland in order to mark the 25th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera.
Lloyd Webber commented: “One of the first pieces I wrote was Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was originally written for a school. Later it was expanded to be a full-length stage show but I still get a kick out of seeing it performed in the way it began over 40 years ago.
“No way was either Cats or The Phantom Of The Opera written for schools even if TS Eliot did write his brilliant cat poems for his godchildren. But such is the extraordinary growth of interest in musicals at grass root level all over the world, plus the astonishing capabilities of our younger performers, that now schools, colleges and amateur societies put on productions that give professionals a huge run for their money.”
Schools that are interested in performing one of the shows must contact the licensing department of the Really Useful Group in the first instance.
A RUG statement said that today’s announcement marks the beginning of a roll-out of Lloyd Webber’s major musicals to the education and amateur markets worldwide and that the company is looking at shows including Whistle Down the Wind and Starlight Express for this.
Published Wednesday 14 September 2011 at 11:21 by Natalie Woolman
Cats and The Phantom of the Opera can now be performed by academic schools and colleges for the first time.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has licensed both the shows for school and college performances in the UK and Ireland in order to mark the 25th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera.
Lloyd Webber commented: “One of the first pieces I wrote was Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was originally written for a school. Later it was expanded to be a full-length stage show but I still get a kick out of seeing it performed in the way it began over 40 years ago.
“No way was either Cats or The Phantom Of The Opera written for schools even if TS Eliot did write his brilliant cat poems for his godchildren. But such is the extraordinary growth of interest in musicals at grass root level all over the world, plus the astonishing capabilities of our younger performers, that now schools, colleges and amateur societies put on productions that give professionals a huge run for their money.”
Schools that are interested in performing one of the shows must contact the licensing department of the Really Useful Group in the first instance.
A RUG statement said that today’s announcement marks the beginning of a roll-out of Lloyd Webber’s major musicals to the education and amateur markets worldwide and that the company is looking at shows including Whistle Down the Wind and Starlight Express for this.