British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is best known for creating the music to some of the world's most popular contemporary theatrical productions. His collaborations with lyricist Tim Rice include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita; with other lyricists he has created the blockbusters Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard. Lloyd Webber has garnered many of the stage's top honors for his work, including several Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards. Critical opinion of his musicals has, however, differed widely. Some experts credit Lloyd Webber and his collaborators with infusing new life into musical theater and resurrecting a dying genre; others say that he has been largely responsible for a trend towards great stage spectacle with little content. Whatever the critical evaluation, Lloyd Webber's music is known for the way it blends various styles, from classical, to rock, to country, to calypso.

Lloyd...