Andrew Lloyd Webber reveals critically ill son has been moved to a hospice
The impresario said he is ‘gutted’ to miss the opening of his new show Bad Cinderella in New York on Thursday to be with his family.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said his eldest son Nicholas has been moved to a hospice where he is “battling” his gastric cancer.
The Oscar-winning composer said his son is “over the worst of this first bout of pneumonia” which he caught as a result of his “ghastly” cancer.
The 75-year-old, who wrote the music for hit shows such as Cats, The Phantom Of The Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, said in a video on Instagram: “We’re all here and the family here has gathered around and it was the right place for us all to be I think.”
The 75-year-old thanked the people of Ukraine who sent him a Cats t-shirt following the announcement that his son was “critically ill”.
He said: “I know that they’ve been performing Cats there in a bunker, a makeshift production.
“It’s incredibly moving … everything they’re going through they have been so incredibly thoughtful about dearest Nick.
“I’m going to go and see Nick in a minute, and I’m going to pass on all of the fantastic wishes that I’ve had for him all the way from everywhere all around the world.”
Lloyd Webber also sent his best wishes “to the other families I have around the world in theatre” on the opening night of his new show Bad Cinderella in New York.
He said: “I’m absolutely gutted not to be able to be there but my place is really here in England at the moment.”
The Broadway show is a retooled version of London West End’s Cinderella which takes its name from a key song in the show and has new songs, leading lady and title.
Nicholas, 43, is also a composer and has scored music for an adaption of The Little Prince.
He was also nominated for a Grammy for musical theatre album alongside his father, Greg Wells and David Zippel for Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.
