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Mumbai musical with Webber, Rahman, Kapur

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, March 7

WATCH Bollywood join London's West End and Mumbai's dreams soar to foreign skies.

Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical theatre composer, announced his plans in Mumbai to produce a musical, to be composed by A. R. Rahman, and with the collaboration of film producer-director, Shekhar Kapur. He hopes the musical about Mumbai will be performe d on stage in the West End of London.

Mr. Webber's enthusiasm came from seeing the Bollywood blockbuster song from Dil Se, Chaiya, Chaiya, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora on the roof of a train. For a long time, global destinations have dominated Bollywood's songs. And now, the lu re of Bollywood's success has attracted foreign talent.

Mr. Webber says: ``This is the first time I have invited another composer to write a musical for the stage. I am very excited to be able to explore this possibility with A. R. Rahman. My production company has produced several plays by writers other than myself, but this is the first time it will be working with another composer. I regard A. R. Rahman as one of the most exciting young composers of our time. I am grateful to Shekhar Kapur for introducing us.''

Mr. Webber is the composer of the entertainment spectacle of all time, The Phantom of the Opera - which has taken more than $3 billions, outgrossing Titanic. Albums of his music alone have sold more than 125 million copies globally. He has composed the m usic for Cats, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, .

The Taj Group of Hotels has provided the hospitality for Mr. Webber's visit to India.

Pic.:Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical theatre composer, announcing his plans to produce a musical, to be composed by A.R. Rahman (on the left), and with the collaboration of Shekhar Kapur.