Andrew Lloyd Webber by Gerald McKnight
Andrew Lloyd Webber (First U.S. Edition in Dust Jacket)
A Biography of the Composer Behind Evita, Cats and Starlight Express, Published as His Stage Empire Took Shape
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography
- Author: Gerald McKnight
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press, New York
- Publication Date: 1984
- ISBN-10: 0312036477
- Edition Details: First U.S. Edition, St. Martin's Press, New York.
- Binding: Publisher's tan cloth hardcover, with illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo hardcover biography. Includes a photographic portrait on the back of the jacket.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Boards: The tan cloth boards are clean and square, with no visible staining. A tiny dark speck is visible near the top of the front hinge edge. The lower edge of the book is straight, with no obvious bumping.
- Interior: The pages are clean and cream-coloured, with a tight binding and no foxing, markings or underlining. The title page shows a few tiny specks.
- The Dust Jacket: Present and intact, in glossy black with neon-style lettering in orange and yellow. Light surface scuffing, fine scratches and smudging to the front and back panels, with no tears. A small ISBN sticker is on the back. Protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Biography by Gerald McKnight, published in New York by St. Martin's Press in 1984, is a profile of the British musical theatre composer written at a pivotal moment in his career. It appeared as Starlight Express was reaching the stage, following the success of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Song and Dance and Cats.
The narrative traces his childhood and schooling and his early collaboration with Tim Rice, before following the rise of his stage works. It also looks ahead to the Broadway opening of Cats and touches on the dispute over the lyrics of Memory, the one song in that show not drawn from Eliot.
As a contemporary account from the middle of the composer's career, it is a useful companion volume for collectors of theatre and popular music biography.
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