Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is to accompany his leading lady in performing the title song from his new show, Love Never Dies, at its world premiere in London, it has been announced.
Sierra Boggess, who plays Christine in the musical, will sing, accompanied by Lloyd Webber and Louise Hunt on two grand pianos, in front of a star-studded audience at the last ever South Bank Awards.
The ceremony, at London’s Dorchester hotel on January 26, will be hosted by Melvyn Bragg.
Lloyd Webber said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to accompany my new Christine as she gives the very first performance of Love Never Dies at the last ever South Bank Show Awards. No television show in the last half century has done more for the arts than the South Bank Show and we are very much looking forward to being part of this final ceremony.”
Love Never Dies is the sequel to Lloyd Webber’s hit musical The Phantom Of The Opera, and sees the eponymous anti-hero moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island. It will open in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre in March.
Bragg said: “I could not be more pleased that Andrew has chosen to bring the world premiere of Love Never Dies to the South Bank Show Awards. A track from his Variations has been our signature tune from the start. It inspired the only television titles to win a Prix Italia.
“The films we’ve made with him over the 30 years have charted a unique and phenomenal career in music theatre. It is just great that, having been in at the beginning, he is helping us to bring the curtain down.”
Lord Lloyd Webber’s younger brother Julian and his band will also perform at the awards, playing the familiar South Bank Show theme – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Variations: Paganini Caprice in A minor No 24 – and also Variation No 23.
Among the stars due to attend the cultural extravaganza are Sir David Attenborough, Rachel Weisz, Dominic West, Tracey Emin, Ronnie Wood, Ken Russell, Jarvis Cocker, tenor Rolando Villazon, Sir David Frost, Ronnie Corbett, Sir Ian McKellen and Sean Bean.
The South Bank Show Awards will be broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday January 31.
