(SOUNDBITE OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S "OVERTURE - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA")
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
This past week, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber hit a milestone.
(SOUNDBITE OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S "OVERTURE - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA")
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Lord Lloyd-Webber now has four musicals running simultaneously on Broadway. The revival of "Sunset Boulevard" opened to rave reviews this past Friday night. The four are "Sunset Boulevard," "School Of Rock," "Phantom Of The Opera" and, of course, the ubiquitous "Cats."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE JELLICLE BALL")
COMPANY: (Singing) Jellicle cats, come out tonight. Jellicle cats, come one, come all. The jellicle moon is shining bright.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Hold on. Hold on. We don't want to get that stuck in your head this early in the morning. That said, this is a rare distinction that hasn't happened since the summer of 1953, when Rodgers and Hammerstein had their own Broadway takeover. Webber told The Telegraph, I think back to when I first came to New York when I was 22. I met Richard Rodgers, and he was my idol. He said, I never would've dreamt this would happen.
You know what? I actually really do love "Cats." Hit it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MEMORY (PRELUDE)")
ELAINE PAIGE: (Singing) Midnight - not a sound from the pavement.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And if "Cats" isn't really your speed, tomorrow on Morning Edition, Mandalit del Barco will recap the Grammy Awards, the show's big moments and who wins the face-off between Adele and Beyonce for album of the year.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MEMORY (PRELUDE)")
PAIGE: (Singing) In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet. And the wind begins to moan.
Copyright © 2017 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.