After the success of these Biblical musicals, Lloyd Webber severed from Rice to explore different methods of conveying his musical vision, such as the more dance-inspired "Cats." In this musical, Lloyd Webber abandoned many of the rock elements of his former work "in favor of what critics found a pastiche style that borrowed from classical and opera sources. He had also become a brand name" and created his own a corporation, the Really Useful Company that attempted to bring commercialism, in a positive fashion, to the musical theater industry ("Andrew Lloyd Webber, Answers.com, 2007).

Cats" was not simply one of the most successful musicals of all time, it also spawned t-shirts, mugs, and yes, many jokes, as well as a soundtrack album and other, more conventional methods of generating interest in the show -- and revenue. Since "Cats," was created by Lloyd Webber, almost every other major musical has attempted to create a fan base and a commercial industry around its success, to justify the expense of constructing an elaborate set and putting large cast on stage night after night.

Lloyd Weber's most famous musical continues to be "Phantom of the Opera." It starred Sarah Brighton, his wife at the time, who had also featured in "Cats." Webber left his first wife for Sarah, who was to become Christine, the inspirational muse of the hideous creature living below the Paris Opera House. "Phantom" inspired repeat traffic, as fans again and again returned to see the story of Erik, and to thrill to the recreation of the twisting and turning labyrinths beneath the Paris Opera House. It was Webber's homage to the opera and classical music that originally inspired him, even though his career and musical style wildly deviated from it, for most of its course. "Phantom" contained elements of opera, pop music, ballet, and cinema, all fused into one show that the critics panned, musically and theatrically, but fans lined up for hours to see. Its staying power has even outlasted Webber's marriage to Brighton.

Lloyd Webber's more...

However, his name is enough of a trademark that "Evita," the lionization of the controversial political figure of Argentina, became a movie, and a highly popular one at that, in an era where cinematic musicals have largely fallen out of favor.
Lloyd Webber continues to write, compose, and run the Really Useful Theater Company, and his songs and productions are still heard and seen around the world. Even his earliest collaborations with Tim Rice live on, as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" have become staple productions in Sunday Schools and at summer camps -- no longer the stuff of controversy. Lloyd Webber has also expanded the outreach of his musical empire. "He bought the Palace Theatre in 1983 and now owns seven London theatres including the Palace, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the London Palladium. He was knighted in 1992 and created an honorary life peer in 1997 ("Andrew Lloyd Webber: Official Biography," Andrew Lloyd Webber Website, 2007). And he continues to try to make musicals accessible to the common people. For Webber, star quality and staying power mean staying true to your initial vision -- and Webber's prime motivations have always been populism and the unabashed pursuit of profits.

Works Cited

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Official Biography." Andrew Lloyd Webber Official Website.

2007. 26 Apr 2007. http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/sections/biog/index.php?section=biog#andrew

Andrew Lloyd Webber." Answers.com. 2007. 26 Apr 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/andrew-lloyd-webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber." Internet Broadway Database. 2007. 26 Apr 2007. http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=12073

Larsdotter, Asa. "Andrew Lloyd Webber." 1997. 26 Apr 2007. http://hem.passagen.se/musicals/andrew.html