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Andrew Lloyd Webber paid tribute to his son Nicholas in an emotional statement after his death at 43 on Saturday, March 35. The Phantom of the Opera composer, 74, honored his son following his passing from gastric cancer. “I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago in Basingstoke Hospital,” Andrew said in a statement to PEOPLE magazine on Saturday, March 25. “His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft. Thank you for all your thoughts during this difficult time,” the 75 year old also said.
Andrew had shared the news that his son was battling cancer after he missed the previews and opening performances of his brand new musical Bad Cinderella in March. Along with announcing that he would miss the performances, he also said that the whole family was hoping that Nicholas would recover. “I am absolutely devastated to say that my eldest son Nick is critically ill. As my friends and family know, he has been fighting gastric cancer for the last 18 months and Nick is now hospitalised,” he said in a statement to BroadwayWorld. “We are all praying that Nick will turn the corner. He is bravely fighting with his indomitable humour, but at the moment my place is with him and the family.”
With the news that Nicholas was battling stomach cancer, the Bad Cinderella cast shared best wishes for Andrew and his family in a tweet. “The cast and company of Bad Cinderella send their love, thoughts and prayers to Andrew and the Lloyd Webber family,” they wrote.
Like his dad, Nick was also a composer, having scored films like The Last Bus and the TV series Love, Lies, and Records. He also composed the music for the theatrical productions Fat Friends: The Musical and a 2016 adaptation of The Little Prince. He was also a record producer, notably working alongside his dad on his Symphonic Suites album and Cinderella cast album.
Nicholas was Andrew’s second child and his oldest son. The composer shared him with his first wife Sarah Hugill, who he was married to from 1971 to 1983. The couple also had a daughter Imogen, 45. After the divorce, Andrew wed soprano Sarah Brightman, who went on to star in many of his musicals, including Phantom of the Opera. He and Brightman were married from 1984 to 1990. He married equestrian Madeliene Gurdon in 1991, and they have three children: Alastair, 30, William, 29, and Isabella, 26.
The news of Nick’s cancer diagnosis came months after it was announced that Andrew’s signature show Phantom of the Opera would close on Broadway after 35 years, making it the longest-running show on Broadway. The company had announced the production would end in a video in September 2022. The show later announced that it would extend its time in New York due to the increased demand in November. The show will run until April 16.
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