Andrew Lloyd Webber to transfer his 'Cinderella' to Broadway

NEW YORK (AP) - Andrew Lloyd Webber is saying goodbye to his last remaining show on Broadway and welcoming another.

The musical theater icon announced Monday that his retooled version of 'œCinderella' will land in New York at the Imperial Theatre in February with new songs, a new leading lady and a new title.

'œBad Cinderella' - borrowing the title from a key song in the show rather than using London West End's blander name 'œCinderella' - will star Linedy Genao in the title role. She's had ensemble roles in 'œDear Evan Hansen' and 'œOn Your Feet!' Carrie Hope Fletcher played the title character in London.

Lloyd Webber hopes his fairy tale has a better ending on Broadway than it did in London, where 'œCinderella' closed less than a year after opening and suffered heavy losses, particularly when COVID-19 scrambled its run.

The composer at a press conference outside the theater noted that the show will officially open - and the reviews will be posted - on March 23, a day after his 75th birthday. 'œIt'll be a treat to see what kind of birthday present I get,' he said.

Genao then used a cannister of spray paint to spray the word 'œBad' over the show's original logo. 'œI have one thing to tell you,' she said. 'œI'm not your Cinderella. I'm your bad Cinderella.'

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 'œThe Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway in 2023. A fixture on Broadway since 1988, it will close Feb. 18, a day after previews begin for 'œBad Cinderella,' meaning a Lloyd Webber musical will have been performing on Broadway every single playing night since September 1979.

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits