Editing Andrew Lloyd Webber (section)

===2000s===
Having achieved great popular success in musical theatre, Lloyd Webber was referred to by ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 2001 as "the most commercially successful composer in history".<ref name="NY Times">{{cite book |last=Citron |first=Stephen |year=2001 |title=Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: the new musical |url=https://archive.org/details/sondheimlloydweb0000citr |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=9780195357271}}</ref> In 2002 he turned producer, bringing the musical ''[[Bombay Dreams]]'' to London. With music by [[Indian Music]] composer [[A.R. Rahman]] and lyrics by Don Black, it ran for two years at the [[Apollo Victoria Theatre]]. A revised Broadway production at the [[Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)|Broadway Theatre]] two years later ran for only 284 performances. On 16 September 2004, his production of ''[[The Woman in White (musical)|The Woman in White]]'' opened at the Palace Theatre in London. It ran for 19 months and 500 performances. A revised production opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on 17 November 2005. Garnering mixed reviews from critics, due in part to the frequent absences of the show's star Maria Friedman due to breast cancer treatment, it closed only a brief three months later on 19 February 2006.<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/article/into-the-mist-broadways-woman-in-white-will-close-feb-19-com-130680 "Into the Mist: Broadway's 'Woman in White' Will Close Feb. 19"] ''Playbill'', 3 February 2006</ref>

Lloyd Webber produced a staging of ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', which débuted in November 2006. He made the controversial decision to choose an unknown to play leading lady Maria, who was found through the [[BBC]]'s reality television show ''[[How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?]]'', in which he was a judge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/06_june/06/maria.shtml |title=How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Panel Chosen |publisher=BBC |access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> The winner of the show was [[Connie Fisher]]. A 2006 project, ''[[The Master and Margarita]]'', was abandoned in 2007.<ref>[http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/03/27/andrew_lloyd_webber_abandons_the_master_] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125235355/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/03/27/andrew_lloyd_webber_abandons_the_master_|date=25 November 2013}}</ref>

[[File:2006 Kennedy Center honorees.jpg|thumb|U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] and First Lady [[Laura Bush]] stand with the [[Kennedy Center]] honourees in the [[Blue Room (White House)|Blue Room]] of the [[White House]] during a reception Sunday, 3 December 2006. From left, they are: singer and songwriter [[William "Smokey" Robinson]]; Andrew Lloyd Webber; country singer [[Dolly Parton]]; film director [[Steven Spielberg]]; and conductor [[Zubin Mehta]].]]

In September 2006, Lloyd Webber was named a recipient of the [[Kennedy Center Honors]] with [[Zubin Mehta]], [[Dolly Parton]], [[Steven Spielberg]], and [[Smokey Robinson]]. He was recognised for his outstanding contribution to American performing arts.<ref>[http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/home.html The Kennedy Center Honors<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923155858/http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/home.html |date=23 September 2006}}</ref> He attended the ceremony on 3 December 2006; it aired on 26 December 2006. On 11 February 2007, Lloyd Webber was featured as a guest judge on the reality television show ''[[Grease: You're the One that I Want!]]''.<ref>[http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/sections/news/newsdb.php?article=44/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227071052/http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/sections/news/newsdb.php?article=44%2F|date=27 December 2007}}</ref>

Between April and June 2007, he appeared in BBC One's ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'', which followed the same format as ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''. Its aim was to find a new Joseph for his revival of ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]''. [[Lee Mead]] won the contest. Viewers' telephone voting during the series raised more than [[pound sterling|£]]500,000 for the BBC's annual ''[[Children in Need]]'' charity appeal, according to host [[Graham Norton]] on air during the final.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lee wins Any Dream Will Do, will become Joseph|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2007/06/09/lee-wins-any-dream-will-do-will-become-joseph/ |access-date=24 November 2019 |work=Pink News}}</ref>

In 2007, Lloyd Webber's cat, Otto, leaped onto his [[Clavinova]] piano and "destroyed the entire score for the new 'Phantom' in one fell swoop". The Phantom in question was ''The Phantom of Manhattan'', a planned sequel to ''The Phantom of the Opera''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/cat-destroys-lloyd-webbers-phantom-sequel-score-com-141523|title=Cat Destroys Lloyd Webber's Phantom Sequel Score|website=Playbill|access-date=11 December 2016|date=14 June 2007}}</ref> On 1 July 2007, Lloyd Webber presented excerpts from his musicals as part of the [[Concert for Diana]] held at [[Wembley Stadium]], London, an event organised to celebrate the life of [[Princess Diana]] almost 10 years after her death.<ref>{{cite news|title=What is the Concert for Diana?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/concertfordiana/features/about.shtml|publisher=BBC|date=13 August 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6257986.stm Diana concert a 'perfect tribute'] BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2012</ref> [[BBC Radio 2]] broadcast a concert of music from the Lloyd Webber musicals on 24 August 2007.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/wk34/fri.shtml] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116063740/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/wk34/fri.shtml|date=16 November 2013}}</ref> [[Denise Van Outen]] introduced songs from ''[[Whistle Down the Wind (1996 musical)|Whistle Down the Wind]]'', ''[[The Beautiful Game (musical)|The Beautiful Game]]'', ''[[Tell Me on a Sunday]]'', ''[[The Woman in White (musical)|The Woman in White]]'', ''[[Evita (musical)|Evita]]'' and ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]'' – as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', which Lloyd Webber revived in 2006 at the [[London Palladium]], and the 2002 musical ''[[Bombay Dreams]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Original Bombay Dreams Cast, London 2002 |url=http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/shows/bombaydreams/cast/londonorig2002.htm |website=reallyuseful.com |access-date=23 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125035816/http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/shows/bombaydreams/cast/londonorig2002.htm |archive-date=25 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

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In April 2008, Lloyd Webber reprised his role as judge, this time in the BBC musical talent show ''[[I'd Do Anything (BBC TV series)|I'd Do Anything]]''. The show followed a similar format to its ''Maria'' and ''Joseph'' predecessors, this time involving a search for an actress to play the role of Nancy in a West End production of [[Lionel Bart]]'s ''[[Oliver!]]'', a musical based on the [[Charles Dickens]]' novel ''[[Oliver Twist]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Darvell |first=Michael |title=Andrew to help BBC find Oliver! |publisher=Andrew Lloyd Webber |date=21 December 2008 |url=http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/sections/news/newsdb.php?article=118 |access-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125062007/http://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/sections/news/newsdb.php?article=118 |archive-date=25 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The show also featured a search for three young actors to play and share the title character's role, but the show's main focus was on the search for Nancy. The role was won by [[Jodie Prenger]] despite Lloyd Webber's stated preference for one of the other contestants; the winners of the Oliver role were Harry Stott, Gwion Wyn-Jones and Laurence Jeffcoate. Also in April 2008, Lloyd Webber was featured on the U.S. talent show ''[[American Idol]]'', acting as a mentor when the 6 finalists had to select one of his songs to perform for the judges that week.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/04/american-idol-3.html |title=American Idol Tracker: What's new, Andrew Lloyd Webber? |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=27 September 2014 |date=18 April 2008}}</ref>

Lloyd Webber accepted the challenge of managing the [[United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009|UK's entry]] for the [[2009 Eurovision Song Contest]], to be held in Moscow. In early 2009 a series, called ''[[Eurovision: Your Country Needs You]]'', was broadcast to find a performer for a song that he would compose for the competition. [[Jade Ewen]] won the right to represent Britain, winning with "[[It's My Time (Eurovision song)|It's My Time]]", by Lloyd Webber and [[Diane Warren]]. At the contest, Lloyd Webber accompanied her on the piano during the performance. The United Kingdom finished fifth in the contest.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nikkhah |first=Roya |title=No more nul points at Eurovision? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4415361/No-more-nul-points-at-Eurovision.html |url-status=dead |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=31 January 2009 |access-date=31 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203184903/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4415361/No-more-nul-points-at-Eurovision.html |archive-date=3 February 2009}}</ref>

On 8 October 2009, Lloyd Webber launched the musical ''[[Love Never Dies (musical)|Love Never Dies]]'' at a press conference held at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]], where the original ''Phantom'' has been running since 1986.<ref name="Dunn">{{cite news |last=Dunn |first=Carrie |title=Love Never Dies for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2009/oct/08/love-never-dies-lloyd-webber-phantom |newspaper=The Guardian |date=8 October 2009 |access-date=24 November 2019}}</ref> Also present were [[Sierra Boggess]], who had been cast as [[Christine Daaé]], and [[Ramin Karimloo]], who portrayed [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|Phantom]], a role he had recently played in the West End.<ref name="Dunn"/>