Fascinating Webber

Over a stretch of four decades, British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has enthralled hundreds of millions of people with his music, thanks in no small way to the popularity of the countless musicals he has helped create.

The magic of Lloyd Webber’s work will play an important part in Masquerade’s latest production.

Titled Simply Webber, the event promises to be an unforgettable night of music by the composer of The Phantom Of The Opera, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express and many others, interpreted by musical theatre vocalists Dorothy Bezzina, Rachel Fabri, Roger Tirazona and Cliff Zammit Stevens.

The concert will feature exciting new arrangements that will surely appeal to those already familiar with Lloyd Webber’s talent as well as those hearing them for the very first time, but where did the idea to stage this show come from, The Sunday Times asked Kevin Abela, Simply Webber’s musical director.

“Masquerade had this idea to showcase their up-and-coming talent for a long time.”

He describes Lloyd Webber as the master of musical theatre; the maestro of musicals, and clearly, the obvious choice for such an event.

The ‘maestro of musicals’ however, has created an extensive body of work, which must have made it difficult to choose what to include and what to leave out, surely?

“It was difficult as much as it was easy as we were spoilt for choice. After a few meetings with the singers and producers, we chose songs that were best suited our principal singers’ voices and challenging songs for our 50-strong choir. We’re very pleased with the final choice and we’re pretty sure the public won’t be disappointed.” The show features four established Maltese singers, each with a particular timbre and all with a strong background in musical theatre.

“There is a great amount of outstanding talent in Malta and it was very difficult to nail it down to our final four, which we believe are the best of the best,” Abela commented.

To top it all, all four have a bond with Masquerade so the performances also showcase the company and school’s talent at its highest level.

He highlights the fact that these performers all have engagements abroad and that the choir is also of a high standard.

The choir was chosen after auditions. They are being coach­ed by Roger Tirazona and have excellent voices. Some of them are on the verge of breaking onto the local scene, so the concert should also serve as a platform for them.

Abela is confident Maltese audiences will enjoy what Simply Webber has to offer.

“There are so many well-known tunes and the Maltese absolutely love songs from famous musicals like Phantom of the Opera or Evita, to name just a couple”. The music will be performed by a nine-piece orchestra, a small line-up compared to the full-blown orchestra Lloyd Webber has at his disposal.

“Within the nine-piece orchestra there are musicians who will be doubling instruments, so there will definitely be a variety of sounds throughout. The musical arrangements were done specifically for this set-up so audiences can rest assured that nothing will be left out.”

Simply Webber will take place at 8 p.m. this Saturday at the University’s Sir Temi Zammit Hall. The artistic direction is in the hands of Anthony Bezzina. For more information call 7979 3737.