Jesus Christ Superstar

TIM RICE, lyrics

Tim Rice (Lyrics) was born in 1944. He began story writing in 1965 in which year the first song he wrote ‘That’s My Story’ (tune as well as words) was recorded by a rock group called the Nightshift whose career never recovered. That same year he met fellow budding songwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber whose musical ambitions were in theatre rather than rock or pop.

They teamed up and wrote four musicals together from
1965 – 1978.

The first, The Likes of Us (1965-6) was performed for the first time in 2005 and became available on CD just 40 years after its creation. The other three, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1969-71) and Evita (1976-78) were more immediate successes. Feeling certain that they could never top this lot, the pair went their separate ways in the early eighties, whereupon ALW immediately topped that lot with Cats. Tim Rice then wrote Blondel (1983), a mediaeval romp, with Stephen Olivier, which ran for a year in London but not for long anywhere else. This was followed in 1986 by Chess, in collaboration with ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson.

Chess had a healthy run in the West End but flopped on Broadway in 1988, the New York Times bloke being particularly forceful in his disapproval. In 1989 Tim translated the famous French musical Starmania (by Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon) into English, which merely resulted in a hit
album – in France.

In the nineties he worked primarily and happily with the Disney empire, contributing lyrics to the movies Aladdin (music Alan Menken) and The Lion King, (music Elton John and Hans Zimmer) and to the stage shows Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken), The Lion King and Aida (both Sir Elton). Between Disney commitments, he wrote the words for Cliff Richard’s theatrical blockbuster Heathcliff (music John Farrar), which toured the UK in 1995-96. He is currently reworking an operatic musical he had written with Alan Menken (King David), and on new treatments, for both stage and screen, of Chess, the New York Times bloke having been replaced.

He also has a brand new idea, which may or may not see the light of day. He has won a variety of awards, mainly for the wrong thing, or for simply turning up. He lives in London, Cornwall and on the motorway between the two, has three children, his own cricket team and a knighthood.

DALLETT NORRIS, director

Dallett Norris has directed National touring companies of Grand Hotel, Camelot, Oliver, South Pacific and several previous tours of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, including the critically acclaimed tour starring Patrick Cassidy and Amy Adams. Most recently he directed a new production of The Sound of Music which traveled throughout Asia. He staged the international tour of Gigi starring Louis Jordan as well as the Japanese and American productions of Can Can with Chita Rivera. One of the founding partners of Troika Entertainment, Mr. Norris, as artistic director from 1981 to 1998, oversaw the production of numerous musicals presented throughout North America, Europe and Asia. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, he is also the recipient of two grants from the National Opera Institute and has directed for both U.S. and Canadian opera companies. Mr. Norris is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, music

Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Jesus Christ Superstar, By Jeeves, Evita, Variations and Tell Me on a Sunday later combined as Song & Dance, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, The Beautiful Game and The Woman in White. He composed the film scores of Gumshoe and The Odessa File, and a setting of the Latin Mass Requiem for which he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition. He has also produced in the West End and on Broadway not only his own work but the Olivier award-winning plays La Bête and Daisy Pulls It Off. In summer 2002 in London, he presented the groundbreaking A.R. Rahman musical Bombay Dreams. In 2004 he completed the film version of The Phantom of the Opera directed by Joel Schumacher. He has been a theatre owner since acquiring the Palace Theatre in 1983 and now owns seven London theatres including the Palace, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the London Palladium.

His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys, six Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, an International Emmy, the Praemium Imperiale and the Richard Rodgers award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. He was knighted in 1992 and created an honorary life peer in 1997.

ARLENE PHILLIPS, choreographer

Arlene Phillips first came to the attention of the British public when she created the dance group Hot Gossip. Since then her choreography has been seen in theatre, feature films, concert arenas, television, music videos and commercials.

Theatre choreography credits include the hit musical We Will Rock You (music by Queen), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, the US touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease, Matador, Time (starring Cliff Richard), The RSC production of A Clockwork Orange (music by U2) and the Young Vic Theatre production of Masquerade. As a director & choreographer her productions include Saturday Night Fever (starring Adam Garcia), the concert tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber with stars Michael Bolton, Petula Clark, Michael Crawford & Elaine Paige, Black Goes with Everything (the songs of Don Black) and EFX at the MGM Grand (starring David Cassidy). She has directed Michael Flatley’s acclaimed arena production Lord of the Dance, Commonwealth Games ceremonies and staged Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, on the official theme, Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life). In her film choreography she has worked with many notable directors such as John Huston (Annie), Ridley Scott (Legend) starring Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood (White Hunter, Black Heart), Ken Russell (Salome’s Last Dance) and Terry Jones (Monty Python’s Meaning of Life). On other films she has worked with The Village People (Can’t Stop The Music) and The Pet Shop Boys (It Couldn’t Happen Here). Television credits include Ken Russell’s The ABC of Music, The Benny Hill Show, The Hot Shoe Show, the US syndicated Dancin’ to the Hits, The Kenny Everett Video Show featuring dance group Hot Gossip with Sarah Brightman, Peak Practice, Blue Peter, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa & Friends, Lesley Garrett, A Night at the Opera and An Evening With Michael Ball. Her work has also been seen on The Brit Awards, The Royal Variety Show, The Prince’s Trust, Children in Need, Party in the Park and the legendary Party at the Palace. Arlene appears as a judge on BBC1’s hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing and the follow-up series Strictly Dance Fever. In music videos she has worked with AC/DC, The Bee Gees, Duran Duran, Erasure, Aretha Franklin, Boy George, Whitney Houston, Joan Jett, Elton John, Kiss, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Queen, Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Robbie Williams. Arlene has choreographed over one hundred TV commercials in England and America including, 7-up, American Express, Burger King, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Levi Jeans, Vidal Sasoon and Yellow Pages. Arlene has worked with numerous stars from Lauren Bacall to Jessica Simpson and Vinnie Jones to Ozzy Osbourne.

Theatre award nominations include a Tony, two Oliviers, a National Broadway and a FaNY. Awards include an MTV, a Drama Desk, a Bafta, and an Emmy for best choreography. In the 2002 New Years Honours List Arlene was awarded an OBE for Services to Dance and in 2004 a Companionship Award from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, for her contribution to dance. The award was presented by Sir Paul McCartney.