The Stage

Lloyd Webber’s birthday show to feature top stars

Published Wednesday 6 February 2008 at 15:15 by Matthew Hemley

Exclusive: Connie Fisher and Lee Mead are being lined up to perform alongside a host of musical theatre stars as part of a BBC show marking Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 60th birthday.

The programme will feature an array of hits from productions Lloyd Webber has written or produced, including Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Sound of Music, in which Fisher secured the lead role after winning the BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? talent show.

A source close to the project said the event would feature some of the biggest names in the music business and the show would form part of a year of celebrations marking Lloyd Webber’s birthday, which is on March 22.

She revealed that the show, which was originally planned to coincide with Lloyd Webber’s birthday, will not be screened until the end of 2008 because its original recording date, scheduled for February, clashed with the Grammy Awards in America.

She said: “It is being pushed back a bit because the Grammys are on at the same time and a lot of people were being called away for that but still wanted to be involved with the BBC show, so we have had to move it so some of the talent can still take part. We are having a year to mark Andrew’s 60th and this will probably be shown towards the end of 2008.”

BBC controller of entertainment Elaine Bedell confirmed to The Stage that the project was in development, but said the Corporation was prioritising production of the forthcoming talent search show, I’d Do Anything, which will see Lloyd Webber lead a hunt to cast leads in a new production of Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver!.

Bedell also said the BBC was preparing to mark entertainer Bruce Forsyth’s 80th birthday with a special programme, featuring a number of stars who have worked with the showman over his career.

Happy Birthday Brucie! will be hosted by Tess Daly and will feature contributions from Paul Merton, Jamie Cullum, Jonathan Ross and the judging panel from Strictly Come Dancing.