NEW YORK CITY — As one of his shows closes next year, another will open and the long string of Broadway shows by Andrew Lloyd Webber continues.
“Phantom of the Opera” is set to close in February after running continuously for a quarter of a century.
A new show called “Bad Cinderella” will hit the stage a day earlier, allowing him to maintain his continuous streak.
There has been at least one Andrew Lloyd Webber show on Broadway since 1977.
The musical theater icon announced Monday that his retooled version of “Cinderella” will land in New York at the Imperial Theatre in February one day after the composer’s 75th birthday.
“I’ll be intrigued to see what kind of birthday present I get,” Webber said.
His take on a class will feature with new songs, a new leading lady, and a new title.
“Bad Cinderella” borrows the title from a key song in the show rather than using London West End’s blander name “Cinderella.”
It will star Linedy Genao in the title role. She’s had ensemble roles in “Dear Evan Hansen” and “On Your Feet!”
Carrie Hope Fletcher played the title character in London.
“The Cinderella we all know is quiet,” Genao said. “She’s obedient. She’s polite. This Cinderella’s not. She takes up space. She speaks her mind. She’s not willing to conform to the social norms. She wants to be herself, and makes sure that everyone knows.”
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Genao is a Dominican-American born in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, and raised in Hamden, Connecticut, who now hopes to inspire young women like herself.
“This is so much bigger than me,” Genao said. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to be able to represent my Latin community to play a princess because growing up I never had that.”
Lloyd Webber hopes his fairy tale has a better ending on Broadway than it did in London, where “Cinderella” closed less than a year after opening and suffered heavy losses, particularly when COVID-19 scrambled its run.
The show was totally re-revamped for Broadway where Genao was hired to bring it to life.
“I hope little people in the audience and everywhere can see themselves represented onstage,” Webber said.
The stage musical features a brand new score from Lloyd Webber with a book by Emerald Fennell and lyrics by David Zippel.
JoAnn M. Hunter choreographs with direction by Laurence Connor.
Lloyd Webber is closing his “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway on February 18, 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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