Legendary composer and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed that his eldest son Nicholas is ‘critically ill’ with stomach cancer.
The 74-year-old composer, who is best known for his work on projects such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and The Phantom of the Opera, shared the news of his son’s diagnosis in a statement on Saturday.
“As my friends and family know, he has been fighting gastric cancer for the last 18 months and Nick is now hospitalized,” Webber wrote in the statement. “I, therefore, have not been able to attend the recent previews of Bad Cinderella and as things stand, I will not be able to cheer on its wonderful cast, crew, and orchestra on opening night this Thursday. We are all praying that Nick will turn the corner. He is bravely fighting with his indomitable humor, but at the moment my place is with him and the family.”
Nicholas Lloyd Webber, 43, is a Grammy-nominated composer in his own right. He has notably scored the BBC One series Love, Lies and Records, the film The Last Bus, and the short Mr. Invisible.
He earned a Grammy nomination after scoring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella’s original cast album in 2021.
The son of Webber and Sarah Hugill, who Webber was married to from 1971 to 1983, has been carving out his own path for several years. In 2011 and 2012, Nicholas saw his musical adaptation of The Little Prince performed at the Lyric Belfast.
As for his father, Bad Cinderella’s opening night is set for Thursday at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. The production is Webber’s first Broadway venture since School of Rock closed in 2019 and follows the titular character as she’s on a quest to “create her own happily ever after,” per New York Theater Guide.
It first premiered in London as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella and the revamped version began Broadway performances in February before opening on March 23. Linedy Genao, who appeared in Broadway’s On Your Feet!, and was an understudy in Dear Evan Hansen, stars in the title role.
Webber, of course, manned the music, with a book by Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell and lyrics by Tony and Olivier Award winner David Zippel. JoAnn M. Hunter choreographs with direction by Laurence Connor.
The production follows Cinderella as she strives to create her own happily ever after and attempts to break out of her predetermined destiny. It has been praised for its modern take on the classic fairy tale, with many believing that this iteration will offer a much-needed update to the timeless story.
