Lloyd Webber talks 'Phantom' sequel
Sheen, Turner attend Stella Adler studio gala
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DO YOU HAVE an idea for what to call the musical sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's fantastic hit "Phantom of the Opera?" The sequel will tell the story of how the Phantom got away in the big fire and was taken to a thriving Coney Island in old New York. Whatever they choose as a title, its director will be the man who just nabbed all those Olivier Awards in London for "Hairspray" and received the highest accolades for his NYC production of Tom Stoppard's historic "The Coast of Utopia," Jack O'Brien. Andrew has already written the music for the sequel and waits impatiently for Tim Rice to do the lyrics. "Tim is brilliant, but he likes to do whatever comes easily. I'm fond of him, but he's most irritating. Because really he should be doing the lyrics for the new 'Phantom.' He knows he should phone me." Andrew says of the sequel, "It's a great story and I think I've written a fairly strong score. I write quickly and have written it in my head all the way through. So all the building blocks are there; I just need to put it in shape. But this show will be the toughest thing I have ever done. Even if it is the greatest thing ever written artistically, it will never come up to what the first one was commercially." ... Andrew turned 60 Saturday and has started a new TV talent search for the BBC1 called "I'll Do Anything." This will discover young stars for a re-do of Lionel Bart's "Oliver!"; more than 6,000 girls have applied to play Nancy.
THE OTHER EVE, at Cipriani 23rd street, at the Stella Adler acting studio gala, I kissed, hugged, and schmoozed with Martin Sheen who was receiving the Marlon Brando award. On hand: his "West Wing" wife and first lady Stockard Channing; O'Brien; Sidney Lumet; Laura Linney; Holland Taylor; Tommy Tune; HBO's Sheila Nevins; Kathleen Turner; Marian Seldes; Christine Ebersole; Brenda Scheider, widow of Roy, accepting his honor; Dina Merrill. ... Carolee Carmello sang "As Time Goes By" and simply killed. Now, all that Stella Adler's heirs have to do is hire a director to pace this event and we'll all come back again. As it was, a slightly testy Kathleen Turner, got up and started the evening onstage saying, "Some of us here are jet lagged. Let's get going!" She was gung ho and correct.
