The ?The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber? tries to reach out to a younger demographic as well. ?With the four LED screens as backdrop and the colorful costumes, we keep the show young, contemporary and sexy,? said Simone Condon.

It?s also humorous, she said. Case in point is a rather cheeky boy-band rendition of ?No Matter What? from ?Whistle Down the Wind??a song that was a pop hit for the group Boyzone.

As Webber recounted in the brief interviews included in the show, he grew up in a home that embraced various musical styles, including pop. As such, his music has become just as ?eclectic??spanning various genres and traditions from classical to rock, from gospel to good ole fashioned pop, of course.

Condon said that she wouldn?t be surprised if a Filipino artist would join the cast in the Manila leg of the tour.

She is quite familiar with the formidable talents of Filipinos, having watched ?Miss Saigon? in the West End in the late 1990s.

?I know that a number of Filipinos, like Lea Salonga, Leo Valdez and Joanna Ampil, have performed in international productions?in West End, Broadway, even Australian shows. There are a lot of names ? a lot of choices.?

She pointed out that the show generally held auditions, but those who have worked in previous Webber productions need not go through the process.

Condon said that she got to work with Tony and Larry winner Lea Salonga when the latter performed at the opening of the Asian Olympics in Doha in 2006.

?I was associate producer then. Filipino talents are unbelievable. They are extraordinary,? she quipped.

To be held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Manila staging of ?The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber? is presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, All Youth Channels and Concertus, in association with Webber?s The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific.

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