Review: Highlights of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CINDERELLA Album

Despite the news this week of a further delay to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new show Cinderella, my words to you Besties are fear not, because the album is a fantastic way to get to know this show.

When the cast recording begins, the first collection of notes is VERY Andrew Lloyd Webber. The sweeping orchestrations immediately capture and entice you into this magical world that has been created for us. And the most incredible thing about this soundtrack is that (for the most part), the story is clear and really comes across. But more on this later.

Despite the Andrew Lloyd Webber key identifiers and motifs, there is an influence of Rodgers and Hammerstein which is not surprising. Growing up, Lloyd Webber found inspiration in the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. You can hear this in the track ‘Bad Cinderella’, with the chord progression of the chorus being similar to ‘In My Own Little Corner’ from the R+H version. 

But Besties, when it comes to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, they are commonly considered either hits or misses but this musical seems to be in limbo. The reviews so far are mixed; however, I am leaning towards calling it a hit. The story makes a mockery of perfection – the very fact that Cinderella undergoes an…extravagant change (no spoilers today!) and the prince does not recognise her is cynically funny in itself. And yet, very relevant in its own way.

But something that is so frequently forgotten is that although they are termed “Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals”, there are other people behind the musical which is something that will be considered here. 

The lyrics, written by David Zippel (who is also responsible for the lyrics for City of Angels and the 2019 adaptation of Hercules), are incredible! There is perfect blend of comedic lyrics, matched with some beautifully tender and emotional moments. The lyrics behind ‘I Know I Have a Heart’ are beautiful - it is a true breakup song. But the opening number features brilliantly funny lyrics like ‘We keep our dirty laundry out of sight/The town of Belleville is perfection/There’s not a villager with cellulite/There’s not one blotch on one complexion.’ Rhyming ‘sight’ with ‘cellulite’ has defiantly never been seen before. The lyrics feel so original and new and tell an incredible story. 

Now to the man himself. Andrew Lloyd Webber and his orchestrations. This is where it gets a little bit conflicting. The orchestrations are sweeping and beautiful, however it feels like many of them have been heard before. As previously mentioned, Andrew Lloyd Webber had several influences when he was growing up. From Rodgers and Hammerstein to the rock era and many others, this is very telling with this musical album. There are nods to his own works, which pulls the attention of listeners away from this new story because they immediately think “oh, I’ve heard this before”. For example, the beginning of ‘Unfair’ is very reminiscent of Love Never Dies, as well as a hint of a Sondheim influence as well! This is not necessarily a negative thing, but rather an observation. 

Overall, Besties, this cast recording is a really enjoyable listening experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber or not. There is something for everyone in this show.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Megan Webb

To purchase the album, please click here.