The MEGA HIT
MUSICALS OF THE 1980’s

     During the 1980’s, four musicals opened in London’s End that were to revolutionise the production and marketing of the ‘Broadway’ musical form and go on to become some of the longest running and most successful productions of all time. Starting with a small-scale show about a group of alley cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS was considered by many as a recipe for theatrical disaster. Yet, following its modest debut in London in 1981, the Broadway and London productions of CATS each went on to run continuously for more than 20 years. Les Misérables followed, receiving such a lukewarm critical reception that it was not expected to last beyond its original 12-week season. It has now become the world’s most popular musical, having been presented in hundreds of productions around the world. The writers of Les Mis then produced Miss Saigon, a musical based on the Madame Butterfly story and updated to the Vietnam War era. But it was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera in 1987 that really set the seal on the great decade of the 1980’s. Still running today in London and New York, it glorious score, gorgeous scenery and costumes, and dramatic, romantic storyline has captivated the world.

Steven Sidwell Conductor

Conductor, orchestrator and composer Steve Sidwell studied at London’s Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His theatrical credits includeorchestrating the worldwide hit musical We Will Rock You with Queen and the European tour of Hairspray. He has also performed with many top international artists, including George Michael, Tom Jones, Sting, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder. Steve Sidwell’s arrangements can be heard in many films, including Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, Bridget Jones Diary, Finding Nemo, Mona Lisa Smiles and 101 Dalmatians 2.

JOHN OWEN - JONES Vocalist

John Owen-Jones became the youngest actor ever to perform the role of Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables at the age of 26. He subsequently performed the same role in the Broadway production. He also spent 4 years playing the Phantom in the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera when The Daily Mail described his performance as “better than all the talented actors who preceded him in the role.” Other musicals in which he has starred include Jerome Kern’s Showboat and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at Britain’s National Theatre.

JANET MOONEY Vocalist

Janet Mooney is one of Britain’s most versatile artistes. In addition to playing the role of Cosette in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre in London, she has performed as a soloist with several major orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and The Philharmonia. Her operatic roles include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Despina in Cosi fan tutte, and she recently recorded the title role in Bizet’s Carmen.

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