was CINDERELLA a 'costly mistake'? | the closing night curtain call drama explained

[@jennivamp5]

It was really sad to watch Carrie ask Ivano if he was OK when she was crying herself. It's one thing to be emotional at the closing of a show it's another to be publicly disrespected on stage by your boss whilst he's not even there.

[@justbianca08]

Carrie is such a sweetheart i love her

[@Showtunediva]

@@justbianca08 Absolutely. I am subscribed to her KZbin channel & love her videos.

[@BOTDFFAN98]

It was Ivanos first big show after university is my understanding too so hopefully this won’t follow him

[@WillowFae]

I was there and the atmosphere during the entire show was amazing - including mid-show standing ovations. However it completely changed when the letter was read out. The fact that the theatre was largely full of fans of the show, to have a letter from the composer booed really says something.

[@flox3611]

I was also there it was wonderful !

[@bethf7897]

blaming the lack of a government recovery grant when his net worth is literally £820 million is just appalling and embarrassing

[@StrawberryBlonde.]

He can flyover from New York to vote to make sure poor people get less money from the govmt though 🙄

[@carriew5106]

ALW letter wasn't for the cast, the crew or the audience in the theatre. That was a letter written for political purposes. ALW should have issued it as a press statement after the show had closed. It would have had exactly the same impact nationally but without bringing down the mood in the theatre. So selfish to ruin the closing night for everyone.

[@IsThisTheHill]

Really good point

[@agreenpar]

And we all thought that Patti Lupone naming her pool “The Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Swimming Pool” was dramatic. Turns out she had the right idea all along.

[@marcuscameron8274]

Fuck it, the cast should get her to represent them in court against him. She'd put him in his place 😂

[@garygreen3845]

I have swam in that ALW memorial pool!

[@katieminns9778]

Laurence read that out for one very good reason: he knew it would harm Webbers reputation even further. He was just doing his job by reading it, but he played that very very well.

[@ajitter89]

Poor Carrie, I remember in one of her Vlogs she was proudly filming during Webber's speech from her dressing room during either opening night or the first preview, and her listening in reverence. And now he's pretty much dissing them all because they didn't make him another hundred million.

[@LivingThroughLove]

This was my first thought. I feel so horrible for all the actors, but because she's her and she's so public I can only imagine how painful this was

[@carr0760]

And another hundred million just flew out of my bank...

[@Aproclivity]

Ironically one of the videos under this one was Carrie looking excited and proud during the video of far too late. I’m glad she’s back in therapy. She’s had a rough year.

[@allykaman9340]

I agree, this cast did a tremendous job to elevate what was really underwhelming material. When I listen to the soundtrack it sounds less like a new musical and more like a stellar revival of something unfinished and out-dated. ALW should be thanking his cast for taking it as far as they did.

[@JojoJojo-bd6dz]

Poor ppl working there. Carrie is financially fine.

[@Lighting_Desk]

Webber has become a massive hypocrisy. He talked about supporting and industry that was brought to its knees, then showed us all exactly how to screw it up. He's done some serious damage to the industry. He needs to face up to what he's done, rather than hide in his millions. He actions frankly at this point disgusts me. That company have done incredible in some incredibly difficult situations.

[@marcuspd7502]

I’m not sure if there’s a British equivalent to The Broadway League, but if there is, they are doing a poor job of policing Webber and not holding him accountable for his unacceptable behavior. I’m guessing they let Webber get away with what he does because of his wealth and power, and that’s not acceptable. I would love to see the Broadway League simply block Webber from producing Cinderella on Broadway.

[@wwozanewmusical]

@@marcuspd7502 I have been born and raised in New York and around New York theatre and broadway, and there is no way the Broadway league in NYC would ever let this happen to their clients, if it did one of the things webber would have to do was pay the actors for the contracts they signed through the league and from their agents, they mite not be on Broadway but they would get paid even though through their contracts from the start to the finish of their run for that year. Webber has really shot himself in the foot by dealing with this show and these cast members in this way, regardless if he does this all the time. people do horrible things and are over blown idiots, but that doesn't make it legal and right. Thank you for this video Mickey Jo, your awesome as always man. congrats on the boyfriend, and love your channel and work man. Stay safe and have a great summer.

[@Rebellescum]

his whole career has been a sham

[@marinettedorien8236]

@@marcuspd7502 is the broadway league a union?

[@wwozanewmusical]

@@marinettedorien8236 yes they are the ones who run Actors Equity and the other unions on Broadway

[@Tamochi88]

I'm really sad that the musicians in the pit didn't get more of a shout out - they work just as hard. The whole thing is so sad for everyone involved and it's very cowardly for Lloyd-Webber to not appear.

[@beccamay1749]

Lauren had the most shocked reaction to that line, she literally stepped back out of the line with her jaw dropped. ALW has nothing but disrespect for this cast.

[@mjh7236]

So ALW can fly to London to vote for poor kids to go hungry but not to watch the closing night of his show. Interesting...

[@manyagaver1946]

He was also literally just there performing for the Jubilee with Lin Manuel Miranda and some of the people from Phantom

[@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra]

@@manyagaver1946 he mispronounces Lins name aswell which i found hilarious in a bad way. supposidly he has been workijng with him and he cant even stop for 2 seconds to be like hey lin is it man-well or manual?

[@hierophantpurple5163]

wait he did what??

[@mjh7236]

@@hierophantpurple5163 Andrew Lloyd Webber is a lord. He famously flew to London to vote for tax credits to be cut for Britain's poorest people in the House of Lords. He had apparently not exercised his right to vote in the House of Lords for years beforehand but flew out from New York especially to vote for this.

[@hierophantpurple5163]

@@mjh7236 Ew, what the actual fuck

[@quadling3521]

I can’t believe he wrote that down, looked at it, and went “yep, that looks right, send it off”. Stuff like not mentioning the cast, saying “costly mistake” sounds like something a flustered person might say in the moment, but he pre-meditated both of those things! This might have been the letter after edits! Wtf!

[@IsThisTheHill]

Exactly! A misspeak live in the moment is one thing but this! Just really shows us how petty & clueless this man really is

[@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra]

probably wrote it while he was in buckingham palace after mispronouncing lin manuel miranda's name on national televison. he really cares so little about the people he works with he cant even learn how to say their names. of course he's not gonna turn up to a play he's had nothing to do with for a year now

[@madis4913]

We’re talking about the man who let Patti Lupone know she was fired from the press. Look up the story if you’re not familiar (and what she did with the settlement money 😆). He has a long history of asshole behaviour.

[@mazmellem2773]

I can't believe that not only would he write it down and send it off but that anyone would actually read it out to the cast, crew and audience.

[@viicristina]

Andrew is going through some things: watching Patti Lupone winning another Tony 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@redfirefixfox9611]

This comment 💀💀💀

[@TheJoya1234]

Patti’s relaxing by her pool today 😊

[@cyperspacecorner]

...Or the fact that his son had already been battling cancer by that time and died yesterday. Could have been that. Or another personal reason we aren't privvy to.

[@lindakahler4799]

His son was very sick

[@adsheff]

Lupone wasn't good at Norma Desmond. That's just a fact.

[@jazzycat8917]

If I were Lawrence I would have refused to even read the letter. All it did was cause more harm and more hurt. Andrew had no right to be heard as the last word of the show he has ruined.

[@TheGadgetPanda]

I don’t think he was doing ALW any favors by reading the letter out loud. It feels like he was happy to hold the gun while Webber shot himself in the foot. If he had refused to read it, the world would have missed seeing ALW plum the barely there depths of his character.

[@gavinlogan1743]

You're all taking it completely out of context-- the cast was perfectly fine with the letter. The "costly mistake" was opening anything during Covid-- it has NOTHING to do with the cast, and they were NOT shocked with this letter. This is a bunch of BS that's being spewed by a bunch of no-nothing gossip mongers.

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

I’m glad he read it, that way everyone can see the truth. He is a shitty, shitty man.

[@bo7250]

he may’ve not read it before, or if he did and saw that comment probably wanted to read it so people see how bad he is

[@Wonderkell74]

How awfully, incredibly cruel that letter is, and his actions beforehand. And next we see him being celebrated as part of the Queen’s Jubilee. That must have stung also. I feel so awful for this cast. And they’ve behaved with such grace. ALW could learn so much from them.

[@louisat470]

He couldn't even pronounce lin manuel mirandas name properly!

[@Wonderkell74]

@@louisat470 probably on purpose 😂 Lin Manuel Miranda is something he’ll never be, and super nice with it.

[@Showtunediva]

As a Broadway fan I hold so much anger toward Andrew Lloyd Webber for how poorly he has treated the Cinderella cast crew & creative team. If I ever come to London to see a show on the West End I will definitely support this cast and those cast members who supposed to come in next month in their future productions. I will not support Cinderella if it comes to New York. I have lost respect for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

[@kaylaheafey5888]

I would only support the cast and crew when it comes to Broadway

[@Showtunediva]

@@kaylaheafey5888 There is a video about the Broadway production that MickeyJo posted. It is set to start its run in February. I am intrigued to see what changes have been made.

[@vinnm4516]

I think this really is the nail in the ALW era coffin. He had his run of making earworms, but listening to Cinderella it was just cringe after cringe in the lyrics and it's painfully obvious that he's out of touch and out of time. In the hands of a better lyricist, in the hands of a decent editor, in the hands of a person looking for more than a cash grab, this show could have been great. This absolute all-star cast and the crew behind them deserved a much better show than they got, and a way better employer.

[@Shyress]

Yeah, thats why its so horrible. The cast gave their everything to make this work. They are just doing their job and the show failing is the fault of the songs, lyrics and text, not of the actors working with the crap ALW gave them.

[@IsThisTheHill]

Exactly. It was clear his ego couldn’t take constructive feedback to improve the show (song material specifically) so it ended up being an odd mix of a few really good songs and a then lot of cringey ones. Could’ve been better & the cast made the most of what they were given to work with. Love them. They deserve better & may they find it in their next job

[@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra]

he legit cant even write a memorable song. whenever i get his songs in my head its just the tune. and i get 118 24 7 stuck in my head sometimes and i aint paying 200 quid to watch that on repeat for 2 hours. he really does just appeal to middle class old people

[@IsThisTheHill]

@@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra As a middle class old person, he doesn’t appeal to us anymore either. Btw I remember when his stuff was fresh and original in the 1980s. I was in my 20s 🤷‍♀️

[@allykaman9340]

Truly! It’s embarrassing to think that he thought he was doing something when the synopsis reads like a 2012 tumblr post. “Okay so what if it’s Cinderella but she’s GOTH. and the prince is GAY!!! and it’s about how the pretty popular people are really lame and stupid”

[@katiekelly6742]

There's a more telling video out there that pans to the others on stage. There was one of the cast members that gasped and laughed when he called it a costly mistake (I said stepsisters before but i was corrected). Webber has become an arrogant and pompous man who let fame get to his head. The cast did do a wonderful job.

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Lauren Byrne - first cover Cinderella! I have watched this fiasco from every angle!

[@anjalibhat14]

Lauren is an icon for so many reasons, and that reaction is one of them 😌 May she and the rest of the cast & crew find themselves in productions that appreciate their brilliance!

[@bo7250]

it was lauren, but also everyone on stage left gave the most reactions to this comment

[@madisonpheonix1628]

I haven’t been able to find this video. Where did you see it?

[@wickedly4]

Can you link to this??

[@jenicat55]

See I think Lawrence read the letter to show exactly what ALW is like… ALW wrote it so has no one else to blame HE called it a “costly mistake” so cannot complain when the press call it that and Broadway doesn’t happen..

[@erinpennington19]

This, combined with the absolutely shocking way the original and new cast were told about the closure, just screams unprofessional and petty, which is weird from someone so big in the musical theatre industry

[@basicinfo1640]

It’s because he knows he won’t be too damaged for this

[@StupefyAndStuff]

It actually kind of feels like a grown adult having a hissy fit that he didn’t get exactly what he wanted from this show.

[@cassieosbourne7666]

I genuinely hate how Lloyd Webber pretends that he was the only one affected by the pandemic

[@rachelalicee]

Webber is a disgrace to the West End. He shouldn’t be allowed to treat his cast and creative team this way! Carrie and the cast did an amazing job keeping it afloat. Great video as always ❤️

[@odilejones9129]

Equity should launch an investigation into this. The mental health and treatment of cast members matters. Hopefully this whole debacle will teach other big name theatre producers and composers not to disrespect their cast.

[@beckyc8104]

Absolutely! This will have been brutal to hear! I feel bad for the whole cast and crew!!

[@charlottecraddock4194]

I wonder if the cast now they are out of contract will talk about what really happened? Also Mickey you did this FAST! well done!

[@caitieg5472]

I would say Carrie will address it on her channel, she did a video where she mentioned not saying anything at this time but I got the impression she will say something about it after it closes, but honestly she’s a professional she isn’t going to shit on her ex employer - she will probably just say she’s disappointed about how it ended and she was proud of what they gave it. Idk id love to hear her candidly speak about it and spill all the tea, but I just think she’s too professional and genuinely kind to do that

[@campbellfulton5602]

No chance as they will want work in the future

[@danjon8799]

If they will want to work again then they are likely to have to keep quiet. The power that ALW has over theatre is astonishing and its true with what they say - anything that they put out there will bite them in the bum.

[@bethf7897]

you'll probably find there was a clause in their contracts that gags them from ever talking about any controversies or criticising ALW in any way

[@anniebell6846]

@@bethf7897 we can do for them he’s an asshole

[@borntobebookish7507]

Can barely get through this without crying if I'm honest. Andrew Loyd Weber is a coward and these actions will be remembered. Big love to the cast, even the ones who were due to take over the show, I'm sure they'll all go on to bigger and better things

[@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra]

he cant even claim he was in america. he was outside buckingham palace a week ago mispronouncing peoples names and forcing 3 of his god awful shows into a compilation of musical theatre for the queen

[@mazmellem2773]

A coward and a bully.

[@beltingtokra]

To have to stand there whilst hearing something you've given your heart and soul to for over a year is a "costly mistake". How awful. 😔

[@corinnewelter1144]

I’m a novice to theater and have only seen a handful of shows, but I’m actively changing that and I just wanted to say, your videos have been a huge help. Your videos pull me into the conversation of theater instead of shutting me out and making me feel like I don’t know anything. Thanks for your work!

[@FWilliams156]

what upsets me the most is that he humiliated the cast by having the letter read out to the audience with them all stood on stage after the most emotional ending performance. they had worked their buts off on the final show for hime to say it was all a big mistake and he called them out in public without even having the balls to show up and say it himself

[@melodyabcdefghijklmnopqrst1663]

He didn't only diss the performers he also indirectly dissed that night's audience for just having seen a 'costly mistake.'

[@giovannirastrelli9821]

On the same day as Patti LuPone winning her third Tony Award, no less!

[@wwozanewmusical]

thats right, wow he has turned into the king that turned everything to gold ut in the worst way possible.

[@niambim401]

So the only reason why I know about this musical is because KZbin recommended one of your videos about it and the thumbnail had the title. I mistook this to say “Cinder and Rella” because the shoe thing was hard to interpret. And for a few glorious minutes I thought we were getting a gay Cinderella. Like they split the name and Cinder was the pauper and Ella was a princess. My interest was peaked. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that was nowhere near the plot at all. But I stuck around because I was impressed with your ability to give constructive criticism while advocating for the rights of the performers and crew. We are at a turning point in musical history for good and for bad and I thank you for documenting this so well.

[@rylsahawneh3662]

I would be ALL OVER a sapphic retelling if Cinderella!

[@veecantdance]

You need to patent this idea

[@vogelmeister6809]

uh lets get ON this

[@redfirefixfox9611]

That would probably be a better show than ALW’s Cinderella 😂

[@WillowFae]

But it did have a gay Prince Charming!

[@joannemccaffrey1791]

You explained everything so well! I have autism and could follow without finding it overwhelming and you allowed a few laughs and comfort as well. Thank you so much for the time you put in this as I was confused reading biased reviews, hardcore carrie fans (understandably so) going straight to the bashing and you get the jist. This allowed insight to what was said, the situation as much as we can know for now and kept it light beat enough for it not to be extremely sad despite it being a rubbish situation

[@allykaman9340]

My first taste of musical theatre was when I was 14, when my aunt gifted me a disk set compilation of ALW shows. Many many years and one theatre degree later, I have a (somewhat begrudging) soft spot in my heart for his work. I was incredibly excited and intrigued when I heard about this show, and searching for more information about it online is what lead me to subscribe to this channel. If there's one thing I'm taking away from the bizarre and upsetting way this show concluded, it's a reminder of how theatre as a medium isn't measured by one person's contribution, however foundational, but by the collaboration of many passionate and hardworking individuals. Cinderella may be Lord Andy's "costly mistake," but I, for one, think it's certainly greater than the sum of it's parts.

[@doyouhearthepeoplesing2]

The show wasnt the costly mistake casting CHF in thd lead role was the costly mistake

[@allykaman9340]

@@doyouhearthepeoplesing2 I didn't follow the workshop or casting process of this show very closely, what makes you say that?

[@doyouhearthepeoplesing2]

@@allykaman9340 check out her online behaviour since that show was announced and you will see

[@allykaman9340]

@@doyouhearthepeoplesing2 Is it more her being a very online public figure in general (in terms of what she shares with her audience)? She's been an influencer in some capacity longer than she's been a well-known actress, and i feel like ALW would've known what he was signing up for, I wouldn't say the show's fate is bc of her casting in particular

[@gabbygrace100]

It totally ruined the night, didn’t it?! What a child. Laurence covering his difficulty to read by fangirling over ‘The Lord’ was a good move. He knew.

[@millyoconnor7635]

He didn’t know. He was handed the letter before walking on stage and told to read it. He had no idea what it said. He was just doing his job.

[@marcuspd7502]

OMG. Webber just released a statement walking back his comment about the show being a costly mistake. He basically denied that he said exactly what he wrote in the letter that O’Connor read. WTF???

[@rylsahawneh3662]

I would agree that, in all of your videos critical of Cinderella, you’ve never once criticized the cast. Quite the opposite. You’ve been solidly affirming of their performances. Do you think it’s possible that, at some point, the choreography of the show and the plot holes could be fixed so Cinderella could become a solid show? I found the characters quite relatable and it would be nice to see them handled in a way that the show itself works well and really engages the audience. Some could be improved just by reverting some of the songs to the lyrics from the concept album, especially the ball sequence. In some ways, I almost think Cinderella, so long as the plot holes are fixed, would work better as a film than on stage. Some of Cinderella’s solos would work better sung over scenes cutting between her and Sebastian. I wish they explained a bit more what Stepmother is blackmailing the Queen about, too. Which would probably be easier to do in film format or with a film component to the show.

[@cherielangschied8014]

I agree that there could and should have been some tweaks which would have really improved the show but I think the point Mickey Jo has been making is that ALW won't listen to other people's ideas, he wants it done his way and that's that. Breathtaking arrogance.

[@ThePurpleCheesecakeZebra]

if you got a writer who has actually ever written lyrics and good music and not just sh*t your nan will tap her foot to then it could have been a decent musical. i find all his music to just lack some passion. its like he writes for kids or an advert jingle.

[@rylsahawneh3662]

@@cherielangschied8014 Oh, that’s been perfectly clear. I’m more curious if there’s a way someone could come in and go “fuck this, this story deserves better”. I don’t know what rights someone like Emerald Fennel would have to correct plot issues once the book for the musical is complete.

[@TheCoastermann]

I think Emeralds book is one of the strongest books in recent years. What is weak about the show is the score and direction. ALW squanders his talent.

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

Well because the casts are all doing a great job and are doing their best to make this awful music and dialogue sound natural.

[@angelawhitehouse8066]

I have a theory about ALW, that he's gradually morphing into his natural gargoyle state. They'll find him one day, backstage....completely turned to stone. 😁

[@Phelie315]

Hearing what the director said I interpreted ALW's "costly mistake" as referring to the act of pushing so hard to open despite Covid, not so much the show itself. Which makes it marginally better, but obviously still sucks. And ALW remains a coward for jot showing up.

[@Twananas]

I think that’s exactly what he means but it reads very wrong because of the way it was worded. The mistake was opening too early not the show?!

[@RS-dy8il]

this show has felt, from the very beginning, like an opportunity for ALW to make headlines again for being The First Musical To Open During A Pandemic. it really comes across like he did all that just for the glory of having opened something and then when it didn't turn out the way that he had wished (or whatever the reasoning behind the closing was) he just threw his silly little pandemmy project out the window with no regards for any of the cast and crew

[@stacierice3873]

I don't know why anyone is surprised by ALW and his horrible treatment of the Cinderella cast. I'm old enough to remember how he screwed over Patti LuPone in Sunset Boulevard years ago. I feel so bad for the Cinderella cast.

[@Aproclivity]

I really hope someone slips Carrie Patti’s email.

[@bookemdano7567]

And ever since then, ALW’s shows have been on a sharp decline and the Patti LuPone fiasco pretty much sealed that deal. Times have changed and Webber can’t live in the past when his shows had become critic proof, sold tickets, lasted for years and made money.

[@WiseGuy19]

I do feel for the cast. It's clear they haven't been treated with the respect they deserve. Andrew Lloyd Webber has issued a statement where he says his comments were misinterpreted, but I think as a producer he really did mean it was a costly mistake. There’s no question the production lost money, but one can feel that way as a producer and still be proud of the work from a creative standpoint. Both can be true.

[@maronteerds]

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Opening Cinderella during the pandemic was a costly mistake. Not the show itself but opening during the pandemic. With 110 cancelled shows. With cast and crew being ill. With the public returning slowly to West End. And with no help from the UK gouvernement. ALW want to reopen his theaters/show as soon as possible… that was the mistake.

[@jenblack98]

Number one way that we can see things change will probably be through the actors union (Equity). They have the power to make some real change in the industry as nearly every actor on the west end will be a member of Equity and hopefully with the right push we can start to see a reckoning in the industry. Another thing we can do is simply not pay money to go and see shows by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Don't give that man a penny.

[@meaganbrodie1362]

I really wanted the tea and you did a great job breaking things down but tbh I had to stop halfway because it was just so cringe. This is the nail in ALW’s coffin - he’s been building it for years.

[@marcuspd7502]

Webber may have been speaking the truth about the timetable, but as usual, he is tone deaf when it comes to saying the right thing at the appropriate time.

[@cherielangschied8014]

But great at saying the wrong thing all the time!

[@chloewhite225]

I was just watching the body language of the entire cast, all very open, holding hands, teary smiles but generally ok. ALW’s letter comes out and arms are folded, people looking at the floor, gritted teeth. Yikes ……

[@jennivamp5]

How do we hold him to account? Is there anything we can do other than booing his speeches that will prevent him from treating his cast like this again? It's the west end's worst kept secret that he's an ass who treats people like dirt and yet he's just allowed to keep doing it again and again? Why?

[@jazzycat8917]

Refusing to forget what he's done and not letting it fade from the memories of the theatre zeitgeist for one, but honestly the only realmonetary way is for people to stop going to any of his shows, especially new ones. If he's going to be a toxic egomaniac then he shouldn't be allowed to ever again have any success with a production. But thats an imperfect solution and potentially a double edge sword because that also harms innocent actors and crew who are just trying to work and may lead to him just doing this again.

[@jennivamp5]

@@jazzycat8917 is there some way the public can pressure the agencies to protect their actors more? Perhaps encourage them to refuse roles for shows he's directly creatively involved with to protect the welfare of the actors on their books?

[@allshookup1640]

No, because technically he didn’t do anything “wrong” meaning illegal. Morally what he did was AWFUL! The cast and creative deserved so much better than what he did to them. It was selfish and it was cruel, but sadly nothing he did was illegal. So he can’t really be punished other than losing credit in the public eye and having mud smeared on his name.

[@kgal1298]

I have no idea why I'm falling the drama that is this musical, but I love it.

[@manyagaver1946]

Lord Andy was literally in London last week to perform for the Jubilee, could he not have hung around for the closing of this show? I’m sure he has a place to stay in town.

[@charlotteashton1376]

So I work near Lloyd Webbers house and saw him out walking his dog during lockdown whilst I was cycling. He seemed so lovely, as a fan approached him and he was chatting away on the pavement next to me whilst I was waiting at traffic lights. I was like 'he seems like one of those celebs you think is a nightmare but aww hes actually so lovely!' Was wondering whether to see Cinderella in the last week of its run and watched your videos and oh my word, how wrong was I about ALW! I knew he was known to be a bit of a 'diva' or whatever but having looked into the shady stuff he has done in the past, and watching your videos I'm just so shocked at how self serving he is and terrible he has been to these people. I love his work dont get me wrong, but he really needs to have a long think about how he treats people. I'm not sure how he is generally with fans and others but he seemed genuinely lovely and chatty and had a selfie with this woman I saw him with; when he could have just ignored her or brushed her off. Then another side of his personality causes this much drama and pain. So odd. PS. I didnt bother spending £100 on Cinderella and I am grateful! (no shade to the cast etc it seems they all did a smashing job with what they were given)

[@misssupercookie2011]

Carrie's face when Lloyd Webber got booed..... I hope she went home and turned on the camcorder like she's Regina George with the burn book

[@Aproclivity]

She won’t. She’s a professional and a young one at that. Later on after he’s dead she’ll write a book I think. But honestly I think he’s ill he looked like he was wearing a pound of makeup at the concert last week.

[@jaybc6149]

I really appreciate how you talked about all this! You gave a detailed account of everything down to how people where looking in the background. This is great to listen to!!

[@360shadowmoon]

Haven’t watched the show but I listened to the soundtrack and, combined with what I heard of the story, wasn’t too impressed. I agree that this is not a reflection of the cast and crew who are immensely talented.

[@savagerose3077]

ALW really chose to lie about the “leading the charge” stuff but couldn’t bother lying in a positive way to not disrespect the cast, crew, and creatives of the show and instead chose to be so downright negative on the show’s closing by calling it a costly mistake. Absolutely ridiculous and I hope he never writes a new show again.

[@leesauer6695]

Mickey Jo, I really DO love everything on your channel (even when I disagree with you). As a U.S.-based theater fanatic whose first Broadway show was the original production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1964 (as an audience-member, I should add), I've never had the slightest bit of warmth for ALW (even though Evita - which I saw in out-of-town tryouts in San Francisco - is, IMHO, one of the top 10 musicals of all time) because it was indisputably clear almost from the days of Joseph, that his ego was so completely out of control that warning notices should be posted wherever he travelled. So, if anything, I think your criticisms of him are understated. The screen from abroad after the bad review of Cinderella was beyond despicable. If the performances of the cast were so awful, they must have been awful back when you were giving the show all that personal attention. And if they were awful then, why didn't you do something about it Andrew? Give those awful performers some notes or fire some of those awful performers? So if they were awful, there's only one person to blame, Andrew, and it's the guy staring back at you in the mirror. And, of course, I don't believe for a moment that those performances were awful. I've heard too many people I trust saying that they were the opposite of awful. Cinderella's problems (again IMHO, having not actually seen the production) were in two categories. First, a cost structure that made it difficult (if not impossible) for the show to be financially viable on an ongoing basis. You cannot plan financially that a show will sell out every seat forever and ever for it to "make it's nut." You have to allow that there will be some slump periods or bad weather or other setbacks, so the ongoing budget of a show has to take those possibilities - NO, NOT POSSIBILITIES, CERTAINTIES - into account. You're producing the show, Andrew. That's entirely on you. Second, virtually every review of the show (at least when it originally opened) mentioned problems in the show's pacing and . . . let's call a spade a spade . . . writing. Everything I saw also noted that the show improved significantly (albeit not enough) after it was reworked midway through. Again, this is all on you, Andrew. I HAVE listened to the score - or at least most of it - and I can't honestly say I found any of the songs memorable. It's been a couple of months since I listened to the score, but I can remember a single tune. I can't think of another show I've listened to or seen where I can't hum any of the tunes. (I can even remember snatches of some of the songs from Aspects of Love.) Frankly, I don't think the score is even in the same league with his other shows. To be fair, my dislike of (or, more accurately, boredom with) the score wasn't universally shared. Some people really loved it. But I didn't see anybody suggesting it was his best work. In the end, I believe you were right and it's entirely his massively over-pampered ego. Ego is a necessity in any creative art. If you don't believe in your own talent, you'll never be able to create anything. But ALW is someone who can never be wrong, and problems must always be someone else's fault. He also seems to be someone who so lacks confidence in his own decision-making, that when anyone writes or says something criticizing one of his performers (e.g., the cast of Cinderella or Patti Lupone), he will immediately throw them under the bus. What a poor excuse for a human being. One final thought. Sunscreen. You're just a baby (at least compared to those of us who were young when dinosaurs roamed the earth), and even a single bad sunburn (which you obviously have) can have dire consequences later in life. Use that sunscreen. Every time! DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE! With much love and appreciation for all you do. Lee Sauer

[@f.velasco6628]

Yes, my friend. MickeyJoTheater is indeed my go-to channel for ALW Cinderella News.

[@thomasheyes5747]

holy shit Carrie's face is saying everything.

[@jdotmi]

There's another view of this where it's super zoomed and you can SEE her face go into polite rage several times during the letter.

[@erikdaniels0n]

She clearly held ALW in such reverence because of his role in creating some iconic shows and was so excited to be part of the original cast for one of his shows, and he did nothing but badmouth and criticize her and the rest of the cast. I feel absolutely awful for her

[@Aproclivity]

I really hope someone has like given her patti lupons email. Cause let’s be real this is sunset all over again.

[@gavinlogan1743]

@@erikdaniels0n He never once badmouthed or criticized her, what the HELL are you talking about? Like, NOT ONCE. He;s not calling the show a mistake, he's talking about opening during Covid-- he even says it was a costly mistake, but he doesn't regret it at all. You're completely making shit up.

[@joshua_hailey]

@@gavinlogan1743 I think you need to do a bit more research 😂

[@ColtonMyers1]

I don’t even know why they needed a new Cinderella so soon. I actually thought the R&H version that they redid several years back to be the most refreshing.

[@WillowFae]

The R&H version is largely unknown here in the UK

[@BellePullman]

Andrew Lloyd Webber was working on (terrible) updates to Starlight Express - which is, as a tiny seed in the base of its development - a version of Cinderella. The Starlight updates proved very difficult (that whole listening to other people thing?), oh look! He's writing a fresh new version of Cinderella instead!

[@MezzoSoprano01]

Such a diplomatic explanation of what went on. Thank you so much for posting & explaining.

[@aosbo6096]

you are FAST sir, yes what a curtain call that was 😂couldn't get over the audience response

[@threesugarssevensugars]

I would love to see you do a Smokey Glow style ‘evolution of’ video on ALW and all of his successes and controversies! She makes fab deep dives into youtubers (usually controversial ones) and I think he would definitely be an interesting figure to do a long form deep dive on. And I could listen to you talk for hours!

[@kendn01]

I was less interested in hearing about Cinderella, although hearing that Andrew Lloyd Webber was upset Was kinda fun. No - what put a smile on my face was the fact that you went to Disneyland Paris for Pride celebrations. Always gratifying to see you young whippersnappers continuing the celebrations we old farts of the previous generation started...

[@JoannaPierceVocalCoachUK]

You are right, this show was so expensive that i could not afford to take my girls. I do believe that ALW has let british theatre down and I am so so disappointed in him

[@thomasinlockwood_]

I watched this with my boyfriend and he said well someone who'll make us watch a bunch of cats talking about their lives clearly has some confidence issues

[@kirajlerner]

...And that letter, ladies and gentlemen, shows why ALW never writes his own lyrics.

[@rockinralphie]

When I say I went RUNNING to see if you had done a video about this yet...

[@nerdoftheatre]

I've just gotten to the part where the crowd boos at the mention of the letter. I have not heard anything about this yet. Judging from the comments on here and from the crowd's reaction, I expect it to take a sharp downhill turn.

[@TabrisFruLar]

I think the exact same thing. The cast is extremely talented and they were always giving it all on stage (main cast, ensemble, understudies and so on). BUT the show was just bad. Poorly written and the music was lame and mostly poorly written as well. This was all about ego (Andrew being himself again trying to prove anything he does is a success, which obviously backfired). I’ve seen ALW a few times (unfortunately) and he is stubborn and mean as well. And yes. I agree. He only cares about money and success and not on the people who actually make his shows happen. His shows (good or bad) are nothing without the people who make them happen. I hope this is finally the beginning of the end for him. His musicals I don’t even care for and never have (and most likely never will) so nothing is lost there. At least for me. His Cinderella should’ve never happened. Not at all. But the cast did not deserve any of this. (Not monetarily obviously but) they’re better off without him.

[@UncleT-wo2ny]

Alw is a straight up drama queen. He's cooked his own goose. Anyone who upsets Carrie hope fletcher is no friend of mine.

[@IrukunTheTuna]

Just learned of this channel recently through Wait in the Wings and am going back through these older videos. Ivano Turco's face says more than a thousand words ever could.

[@k1tkat-kate]

I am not advocating that Webber's behaviour has in any way been okay, but seeing as I'm just watching this video and, by extension, the closing night letter speech, from the perspective of the future.... I can tell you there was an article released three days ago saying his son just died. So. I'm going to go ahead and extrapolate THAT might have been the "Andrew going through some things" that Lawrence was about to hint at.

[@jakethesnake941]

"If Only" is a reference to the musical More Than You Deserve (1973), written by Jim Steinman and Michael Weller

[@scaraponine]

There’s also a song in Whistle Down The Wind called “If Only” which I think is the song ALW is referring to.

[@MrFreddieShere]

From my interpretation of what was said, ALW wasn’t calling the production/show a ‘costly mistake’ but him relentlessly lobbying for reopening theatres quickly… however, for a man in his profession, such a poorly worded letter is pretty embarrassing to say the least

[@katies7933]

He is a genius in some respects but equally awkward and socially inept. He’s a very strange person and that letter proves it.

[@BellePullman]

I'm sure you're right but you'd think by now he'd know how a soundbite can be taken out of context?

[@MrFreddieShere]

@@BellePullman exactly. his job is literally to communicate ideas to audiences lol

[@MsAsh221]

I just know somewhere Patti LuPone is just smiling knowing that ALW is getting his just desserts.

[@LindseyTaft]

It's been made very clear that ALW will blame everyone and everything before he will blame himself and his artistic failures for why his shows don't succeed. All criticism lobbed at the show was towards him and his creative team NOT the cast. He cannot accept that he is the one to blame here. Not the government, not COVID, not whatever other nonsense was in that letter. Plenty of other shows have had to cope with this pandemic, his just wasn't good enough.

[@sopranophantomista]

Okay, so I've suddenly gotten a slew of (Bad) Cinderella content on my recommended feed, and your channel has popped up a couple of times at this point. First off, thank you for all your work in regards to this show! I had no clue that ALW was still putting on new productions, I'm pretty divorced from the theatre scene these days. As far as this closing night went... Look, ALW reminds me of that one coworker you have. You know the one. Older, cut from older cloth, hit it big in the economic boom and did well for himself, so he thinks it's really easy to do it again and again. He doesn't realize (or maybe he does) that it's because of his name that people come to him, not for anything else, so he then starts to slip in the quality of his work? But oh no, he's still That Dude, so he should always be respected because he comes from the 'golden time'? Yeah, he reminds me of that person in the workplace. The man needs an ego check and someone in RUG to tell him "No, no yet" every once in a while to knock him down a few. What a horrid way to close a show, and I feel so, so sorry, and so sad, and so angry to the entire crew and cast. What he did was uncalled for, and I think that a press statement released the day after would have sufficed. As far as him calling the production a "costly mistake', the man loaned out his entire house because he wanted to get a bunch of dancers in spandex to meow up on stage for two and a half hours and succeed at it. The fact he's coming out of this with all of his personal belongings and his theatre still there is nowhere near the 'costly mistake' he so feels like it is. As far as I know he wasn't taking out loans against his property to get this show off the ground. I'm not saying that he's a bad composer. Far from it, he's still got earworms in his mind that, when orchestrated correctly, could really pop off! I think that he should continue to create until he can't, or decides to put the quill down. But do I think that he should always be going for a full production all the time at this point? Probably not. I feel like Cinderella, if the issues couldn't be fixed, should have been scaled back or delayed, COVID or not. Cindy needed more time in the oven to cook, plain and simple.

[@bethyhernandez5486]

Thanks so much for posting! You give the best news in the best format 😊

[@cijmo]

The letter was so patronizing and unnecessary. I think the start of the disrespect was that the cast finding out on social media that the show was closing. Even before this crappy letter, as far as I'm concerned, that was the end of it for me. As for him 'going through something', he's probably having the skin on the back of his head tightened again 'coz his face isn't quite stretched out and taught enough to his liking. The cast members have been keeping a brave face all this time.

[@lillithbazeley7843]

i rhink when he said im the only creative here someone said 'good'? which would make sense cause no one wanted to see andrew there can i just say however, i am VERY excited for carrie's show review like she does with all her other shows. As she is not contractually obligated to keep her mouth shut she can tell allll of us the horrible things andrew has done throughout the run

[@TheGadgetPanda]

I doubt she'll burn her bridges in that way. We all know she can be a little indiscreet from time to time, but this is her career and he is still ALW. Let her save the tea for her eventual tell-all book.

[@khills]

@@TheGadgetPanda or when ALW kicks the bucket,..

[@lillithbazeley7843]

@@TheGadgetPanda true but even she knows that she ant not post one and she cant lie about it and she cant avoid the elephant in the room so she's kind of in a corner

[@lillithbazeley7843]

@@khills wont be too long now will it

[@victoriaevans1965]

No wonder the Insta posted only showed the bows till he came up on stage. (Laurence) Disgusting that only he came, (and none of the other names he mentioned) But not surprising. He really didnt wanna read that (letter from alw) But then defending about alw and could tell he was about to say alw has been going through stuff etc, but so has everyone. (Edit made for the person who can't read what I wrote as in talking about the director who read the letter from alw)

[@gavinlogan1743]

He didn't come up. He wasn't there-- he's ill. Laurence Connor read a letter from him, and everyone on this thread is COMPLETELY misrepresenting what was said, and how the cast reacted. This is a bunch of ignorant horseshit.

[@WillowFae]

@@gavinlogan1743 I was there and was watching the cast. This does NOT mispresent things

[@victoriaevans1965]

@@gavinlogan1743 separate paragraph, and he being refferenced was to laurence as i had seen the bows from the insta which cut out from the shows instagram when laurence came on stage. Trust me you dont want to go there. Having lost both my brother and my mother sept2020 and sept2021 now being a carer for my dad who is severely disabled and having my own health issues, ALW may have issues, but there are alot of us in the UK and the world going through stuff. It doesn't excuse his bad behaviour in the way Carrie found out about the closure of the show from a cast member, and how the incoming cast were informed. Its not misrepresentation of how the cast were, on one of the bows videos a cast member is actually making the hand motions for the audience to boo louder. N i don't blame him. We were not back behind scenes this past year, we do not know how things have been for the cast. So don't call me ignorant. (Edited now so to make it clear to EVERYONE I was talking about laurence)

[@britbfg]

@@gavinlogan1743 I mean he could be ill, but he was well enough to perform at the queen's jubilee last weekend, so that's suspicious to me...

[@angelspit]

I went to see it a few months ago to support Carrie and crew and found it really... boring? But that had nothing to do with the performances and everything to do with the writing/music. ALW is so out of touch with reality to write a show like that, thinking it will strike true, when it already contained some super out of date references and really unmemorable music. The cast and crew were short changed by his ego, and it's despicable for him to be so gutless and not even show up, then to say that in a letter. Disgusting.

[@disaidra]

8:00 considering the next few things he says I think that's a reference to the song "if only" from whistle down the wind

[@rebeccalaff853]

I've really really tried to like this musical but I agree with everything you say about what is wrong with it. The problem is webber is too successful (which is odd to say) Noone can say no to him so I assume none can really offer creative opinions, either. That cast CARRIED that material bc it was bad material. Carrie hope fletcher is why those songs are listenable.....anyway, ALW is a big disappointment as a human.

[@adam4757]

I think the reference to Jim Steinman was about the song in 'Whistle Down the Wind' called "If only".

[@georgiaxx2531]

ivano is a friend of mine who went to arts1 with me. such a nice guy we’re all so proud of him but honestly idk how to feel about the musical

[@TheBooshBabe]

It doesn't matter if something's going on in his life. When you say things like that, it's pretty nasty and disrespectful. If your boss behaves like that in any job, that's crossing a line. I feel for all the cast

[@IWillBeHers]

I hope an investor for bringing Cinderella to Broadway writes a letter to Lord Andy saying “investing in your show has been a costly mistake”.

[@katburgess5926]

The more I hear about ALW, the more I cringe. It's getting harder and harder to separate him from his work especially with the newer stuff.

[@EllieC130]

To the director's defence, I think he more means in the sense that the rules were changing fairly often. I was doing rehearsals for an amdram show in summer 2021 and oh my goodness, we were getting different updates like once a week.

[@awkwardsoprano]

Makes me so angry how they've all been treated. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea but the cast deserved better, the crew deserved better and those taking over from previous cast deserved better. I know people will argue it's "show business" but with Covid and the fear and uncertainty of the industry in the wake of the pandemic (and so many going jobless) it's just shit :(

[@HaussOfSharon]

I was actually waiting for this. 🍿🍿🍿

[@mariaworby]

My exact thoughts, what did the 'written a song with Jim Steinman' have to do with anything. The way this man treats people is horrendous! I feel so sad for the entire cast.

[@Seal0626]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j33SoHaIhJqneqM the song being referenced

[@Aproclivity]

As much as I hate to like defend anything I said, in whistle down the wind there’s a song called if only so I think if he didn’t say it people would have been like. “Like the song?”

[@mariaworby]

It seems like the entire letter was badly written and open to misinterpretation.

[@Seal0626]

@@Aproclivity ALW did something similar when he eulogised Meat Loaf - assumed everyone would recognise "The Vaults of Heaven" as a song title. I don't think he realises how obscure these things are to most people.

[@ponygrrrl]

Because he’s dead, he’s using his name for sympathy & it’s fucking disgusting.

[@BellePullman]

Andrew Lloyd Webber really needs to retire... pass on the authority to manage his shows to someone he trusts, and stop digging the hole in his reputation deeper and deeper. I think I've heard those same rumours as to what was almost mentioned there, and it all fits together, and really a pleasant retirement would be the best possible future for him. The alternative is that this kind of situation is only going to get more common, and worse as he becomes more irrational, and who dares to tell him "no"?

[@susanpierce8548]

I saw Cinderella for my hen night in October 21. I absolutely loved it and wanted to go back again but illness stopped me . Very sad it’s all over ….

[@hefinrosser8685]

Hi mikeyjo, I know we clash, but thank you for this video, you are alot more diplomatic than I would have been. Love and best wishes ❤️

[@redisthecoolestcolour]

Wait, sorry, there are people who think that this new behaviour from ALW??? lol Were they born before he did this EXACT thing with cast of Starlight Express in the early 2000s? Except they took longer to find out because no Twitter... Funnily enough, as I typed this, I remember he blamed the Government then too.

[@loridavis1858]

He did it to the Broadway cast of Woman In White as well.

[@JulesMcNally]

Carrie cries at the end of every show she's done. But I imagine that the way it ended made it so much harder.

[@ellie.preston]

And yet we’re still waiting for an apology to the current and new cast about the whole announcing the closure on social media scandal! But sure this letter is fiiiine, right? The majority of it is just making excuses. I kind of love how everyone in the industry is addressing it tho and supporting the cast. I got to see Alice Fern’s cabaret a couple of weeks ago, and she was supposed to sing an ALW song saying something along the lines of “you screwed over the Cinderella cast so screw you ALW imma sing something I actually like”, which got a massive applause😂 she sand Sondheim instead which was great :)

[@melliehulton6562]

I am loving the sarcastic MickeyJo ! xx

[@rosies14]

I love how you take no prisoners. Great comments again. Aloe vera for your sunburn.