Lloyd Webber may be one of the most powerful forces in show business, having created such fabulously successful shows as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, but he's also a man of mystery who lives a semi-reclusive life.He doesn't do talk shows, rarely gives interviews, and prefers not to be recognized. He doesn't have to choose between Air Canada and British Air. Instead he travels by private jet.His domain stretches around the world, but he has a special relationship with Toronto, because his shows, notably Phantom, have done so well here. On this trip he was a man on a mission: finding the right show to place in the Drury Lane, the jewel in the crown of all London theatres.And sources say Lloyd Webber liked LOTR enough to put it at the top of the list of shows he could acquire for the Drury Lane, where it would open in the summer of 2007. The performance he saw was shorter and tighter than the one on opening night six weeks ago, and now runs just over three hours.
Yes, the Ents were actors on (very tall) stilts, but I think it worked. Remember, Peter Jackson's depiction of Ents wasn't completely true to the book, either - they should have been more humanoid and less tree-like, but a director is allowed to take some liberties. BTW, in the Toronto production, the actor who portrayed Treebeard was also Barliman Butterbur. I thought Gollum was great - a real contortionist.PS To Lady Elentari - my teenaged sons want to go back to Toronto and explore Yonge Street!
