Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicIt looks like Andrew Lloyd Webber may have conjured a real phantom into existence, as the Broadway and music legend is now having a priest come to his home to remove a poltergeist.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, a highly acclaimed composer and musical theater impresario, has left an indelible mark on the world of musicals with numerous successful and influential creations. Some of his most notable works include The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Cinderella, School of Rock, and Jesus Christ Superstar. These productions have achieved global acclaim, earning him several Tony Awards, Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
In addition to his individual success, Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborated with Disney on various projects, showcasing his versatility in contributing to different facets of the entertainment industry. One significant collaboration was his involvement in the creation of the stage adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King. The Lion King on Broadway has been an enormous success since its premiere. Officially opening at the New Amsterdam Theatre in November 1997, the musical has become one of the longest-running and highest-grossing shows in Broadway history.
The show has won many awards, including six Tony Awards, with Webber having a hand in that.
As we mentioned earlier, Phantom of the Opera is one of Andrew’s greatest hits, and holds the title for the longest show running on Broadway. While the show has stunning music, it also deals with the lore of the phantom, and while we know he is not a real ghost, his story has many believing he is.
Now, it seems that there is a new “phantom” in Webber’s life.
The composer has told The Telegraph that “a mischievous spirit took up residence in his home in Belgravia, central London, where it would delight in making piles of paper that he would find in unexpected places. He eventually called on the services of a priest to persuade it to leave the 19th-century property.”
He said he had never seen a ghost but added: “I did have a house in Eaton Square which had a poltergeist.
“It would do things like take theater scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room. In the end, we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left.”
A poltergeist, which translates to “noisy ghost” in German, is a type of spirit recognized for causing physical disturbances. It can be presumed that the priest performing the exorcism identified the entity as a poltergeist before proceeding to bless and rid it of any malevolent influence.
Theaters have long been associated with ghost lore, with stories of supernatural occurrences dating back centuries. The belief in ghosts haunting theaters can be traced to superstitions and the dramatic nature of the art form. Many historic theaters claim to have resident ghosts, often connected to tragic events or former actors.
The Palace Theatre in London is famously linked to the ghostly figure of Charles Kean, an actor-manager from the 19th century. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is said to be haunted by the “Man in Grey,” a mysterious apparition associated with a hidden passageway discovered during renovations.
The most infamous theater ghost is perhaps Sarah Siddons, an acclaimed 18th-century actress whose spirit is said to linger at the Drury Lane Theatre in London. Reports of ghostly sightings, unexplained sounds, and strange occurrences contribute to the enduring lore of haunted theaters.
In the end, it seems that Webber, however, was able to get rid of his ghost before anything horrific could happen, like a chandelier crashing down on him.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Let us know your spooky encounter below.