89: Composer Spotlight on Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera for your homeschool

What makes The Phantom of the Opera the longest-running Broadway show in history? 🎭 In this episode of the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast, Gena Mayo takes you on a fascinating journey through the life, music, and legacy of Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the most influential composers in modern musical theater.

From his musical family in London to his groundbreaking collaborations with lyricist Tim Rice, you’ll discover how Andrew Lloyd Webber’s creativity shaped the sound of Broadway through shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and of course, The Phantom of the Opera.

🎶 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How musicals differ from operas — and why that matters for your homeschool lessons
• The story behind The Phantom of the Opera and its unforgettable characters
• How Webber uses musical motifs to tell a story through sound
• What makes the organ such a powerful instrument in this show
• Creative ways to bring Phantom into your homeschool through listening, printables, and discussion

Whether you’re a longtime Broadway fan or new to musical theater, this episode will help your kids connect with one of the greatest composers of all time — and maybe even inspire a family musical night!

🎼 Visit the accompanying blog post at MusicinOurHomeschool.com for listening links, printable activities, and bonus resources for homeschoolers.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/composer-spotlight-andrew-lloyd-webber/

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Transcript

E89 Composer Spotlight: Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera

Speaker: [00:00:00] Hello, Harmony Heroes. Welcome back to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I'm your host, Gena Mayo, and today I'm excited to introduce you to one of the most famous and influential composers of musical theater, Andrew Lloyd Webber.

His musicals have been performed all over the world and translated into dozens of languages. They've inspired millions of people, kids and adults alike, and today we're focusing on one of his greatest works, The Phantom of the Opera. So get comfy, and let's dive into the life, music and magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Andrew Lloyd Webber was born in London in 1948 into a family where music was everywhere. His dad was a music professor, his mom, a piano teacher, and his brother Julian, became a famous cellist. Imagine growing up in a house where everyone is making music. That was Andrew's world.

When he was just nine years old. Andrew wrote his very first piece of [00:01:00] music, a set of six short pieces. By the time he was a teenager, he wasn't just playing instruments like piano, violin, and French horn, he was composing songs and even small musicals for school.

In 1965, he met a lyricist, that's a person that writes words, named Tim Rice, and the two made history together. Their first big hit was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, written in 1968. Originally, it was just a short piece for a school concert, but it became so popular that it grew into a full-length musical, performed around the world.

They followed this with Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970 and Evita in 1976. These were both groundbreaking rock operas that told stories in a totally new way.

By the 1980s, Andrew Lloyd Webber was ready to take the world by storm on his own. [00:02:00] Cats premiered in 1981. It's based on poems by the poet T.S. Elliot, and it ran for decades in both London and in New York.

In 1986, his masterpiece, The Phantom of the Opera, opened in London and later on Broadway, and it became the longest running musical of all time. It's been seen by more than 140 million people, and it continues to be performed worldwide.

Before we dive into more about Phantom, let's pause and talk about what makes a musical special. A musical is a play that combines singing, acting, and dancing to tell a story. Instead of just talking, the characters break into song when words alone aren't enough to express their feelings.

Musicals usually have three main ingredients. They have songs. These could be solos sung by one person, duets [00:03:00] sung by two people, or a ny number of singers up to a big chorus of the entire cast, that help us feel the emotions of the characters and tell the story. Dialogue. These are actually spoken words, that keep the story moving. And dances. These are choreographed numbers that bring energy, beauty, and excitement to the stage.

Now if you've seen an opera, you might think, "Isn't that the same thing that happens in an opera?" Well, operas are different from musicals. Usually, operas are completely sung and musicals have dialogue. But there are some operas that do have some dialogue, and there are some musicals, such as Les Mis and Hamilton, that don't have dialogue, that are sung through. But the biggest difference is that o peras have a particular style of singing, the classical operatic singing style, and in musicals, they're singing a different type of [00:04:00] style. It's a more modern singing style, more pop or rock or jazz. Almost always the singers, the actors, in a musical use a microphone. But in operas, they are trained not to need a microphone and to actually be able to sing over an orchestra playing, and you can still hear them. Think of musicals as stories with extra magic costumes, special effects, wonderful sets where music and movement add depth that plain words can't provide.

Now let's explore the story of The Phantom of the Opera. It was first a novel written by the Frenchman Gaston Leroux in 1910. He was inspired by the legends about the Paris Opera House, which actually has underground tunnels, trap doors, and even a small underground lake. People whispered that it was haunted and Leroux turned those tales into a thrilling mystery and love [00:05:00] story.

In the musical version, we meet Christine Daaé, who is a young soprano singer who dreams of making it big. Raoul, who is Christine's childhood friend, and he's a nobleman who loves and protects her. And the Phantom. He's a masked genius who lives beneath the Opera House. H e composes music and manipulates the world above.

Christine believes her Angel of Music is guiding her, but in reality, it's the Phantom who is secretly training her voice. The Phantom falls in love with Christine, but Christine's heart belongs to Raoul and that causes jealousy and anger to consume the Phantom. One of the most unforgettable moments in the musical is when the Phantom causes a giant chandelier to crash down during a performance. This is a moment so dramatic that audiences gasp every time. If you [00:06:00] go to see Phantom being performed on Broadway or a traveling Broadway-type group. They will have the chandelier falling and it's really exciting.

In the end, Christine shows compassion to the Phantom. Realizing he cannot force her to love him, he lets her go with Raoul and vanishes back into the shadows.

If you click over to the accompanying blog post that goes with this episode, find the link in the show notes. You'll be able to hear some of the music from The Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber did an amazing job using music to tell this story, and one thing he did was use some motifs. These are short musical ideas that return throughout the show, and they represent an idea or a character.

There's the Phantom's organ theme, which is dark and powerful, played on a pipe organ. You hear it right at the beginning of The Phantom of the [00:07:00] Opera Overture. There's Christine's motif in the song "Think Of Me", which is light and hopeful and sweet, shows her innocence and her talent. There's The Phantom of the Opera duet, the famous song where Christine's soaring high notes are paired with the phantom's deep voice. There's the beautiful love song "Music of the Night," which is gentle and romantic and shows the Phantom's softer side. And then there's Raoul and Christine's theme in "All I Ask of You." This is a warm and safe song, a complete contrast to the Phantom's dark world. Each motif acts like a musical clue. Even if you weren't watching, you could know what was happening in the story just by hearing these motifs return.

Another thing that I'd love for you to learn about as you're studying The Phantom of the Opera is the instrument, the organ. It's a great opportunity to introduce your kids to the organ because it's one of the biggest and most [00:08:00] powerful instruments in the world. And it's featured in The Phantom of the Opera.

Instead of strings, like a piano, the organ, even though it's a keyboard, uses pipes. These are like giant whistles that make sound when air is pushed through them. The player uses a keyboard or pedals or stops to change the sounds and the pitches, and they can even mimic trumpets or flutes or create deep rumbles that shake a whole room.

The very first organ was called a hydrolis, and it was invented in ancient Greece over 2000 years ago. It used water pressure to make sound. Then later during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance organs were built with bellows. Today modern organs can even be powered with electricity, but they work the same basic way. And in Phantom of the Opera, the organ creates that spooky, powerful atmosphere that matches the Phantom's character [00:09:00] perfectly.

So let's head back around to see why has The Phantom of the Opera become the longest running Broadway show? Well, here's a few reasons. It combines romance, mystery, and drama in one unforgettable package. The music is iconic. Songs like "Music of the Night," and "All I Ask of You" are instantly recognizable. And the special effects, from the chandelier crash to the underground boat ride, it creates magic on stage that audiences never forget.

Phantom of the Opera is a musical that appeals to both kids and adults, with its balance of excitement, beauty, and just enough spookiness. If you'd like to bring Phantom of the Opera into your homeschool, there are lots of fun activities you can do. Head over to the accompanying blog post and you can listen to the motifs. You can find a printable download that has some things to color or a word search, a crossword puzzle, a notebooking [00:10:00] page about the organ.

I love that these kinds of lessons don't just teach music. They build the imagination and create cultural knowledge as well.

So today we've learned about Andrew Lloyd Webber, his early life, his famous musicals, and the story and music of The Phantom of the Opera. We've explored what is a musical, what is an organ, and how motifs can help tell a story through music. I hope this inspires you to share the Phantom with your kids, whether it's listening to the soundtrack, watching a recording, or working through my printable pack, it's a fantastic way to spark a love of music and theater in your homeschool.

Thank you so much for joining me today for this composer spotlight. If you'd like more deep dives into learning about specific composers. You'll want to join the Music in Our Homeschool Plus Premium membership, because every month I bring a brand new music lesson, and this month is about [00:11:00] Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera. Well, that's all for today. Until next time, keep making music a joyful part of your homeschooling day.

Find links to all resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/composer-spotlight-andrew-lloyd-webber/