Andrew Lloyd Webber gets experimental COVID-19 vaccine: 'I’ll do anything' for theater
He is not throwing away his shot.
One day after announcing that he would be taking part in a COVID-19 vaccine trial, legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber said that he had received the experimental immunization.
"Just completed the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial. I’ll do anything to get theatres large and small open again and actors and musicians back to work," he wrote on social media on Thursday.
The post accompanied a photo of himself sitting in a chair next to a medical professional who is preparing to give him the shot. Lloyd Webber is wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with "Save Our Stages," the same hashtag he ended his post with.
On Facebook he tagged the National Independent Venue Association, which works at "securing financial support to preserve the national ecosystem of independent venues and promoters," according to its mission statement. The group reposted Lloyd Webber's message and added a thank you note.
On Wednesday, Lloyd Webber announced that he was taking part in the trial.
"I am excited that tomorrow I am going to be vaccinated for the Oxford Covid 19 trial. I’ll do anything to prove that theatres can re-open safely," he tweeted.
Lloyd Webber, composer of "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cats," "Evita," "School of Rock" and other musicals produced both in the West End and on Broadway, has been vocal about the reopening of London's theaters.
A few weeks ago, after "Phantom of the Opera" producer Cameron Mackintosh said that the pandemic has caused the London and UK touring productions of the show to “permanently shut down,” Lloyd Webber responded: “As far as I’m concerned Phantom will reopen as soon as is possible.”
In the United States, Broadway shows have been shut down since March 12, and are officially closed at least through the new year, though most expect the shutdown to last longer than that.
Lloyd Webber also has been busy engaging with fans on social media and bringing experiences to at-home audiences with his "Composer in Isolation" video series and the introduction of "The Shows Must Go On," which made professional recordings of musicals available on YouTube for a weekend at a time.
Virtual cabaret
Broadway From Home will present its first Coaches Concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The virtual cabaret will feature Broadway actors singing popular stage tunes and serve as a benefit to help provide scholarships to the organization's workshops. The suggested donation is $15.
Set to perform are Broadway and Hollywood actors including Molly McCook ("Modern Family," "Last Man Standing"), Nik Walker ("Hamilton," "Ain't Too Proud"), Sara Jean Ford ("Phantom of the Opera", "Cats," "A Little Night Music"), John Krause ("Hadestown"), Jane Bruce ("Jagged Little Pill"), Alan Wiggins ("Pretty Woman," "The Lion King"), Tess Primack ("Fiddler on the Roof"), Harley Harrison ("The Finest Hours"), Perry Sherman ("Fun Home"), Monica Rodrigues ("The Buddy Holly Story") and more.
Broadway From Home was created by entrepreneur and actor Harley Harrison Yanoff as "a solution for school-aged theater kids looking for at-home activities during quarantine and a way to employ out-of-work actors during the Broadway shutdown."
It offers workshops including acting, singing, dance, improv, audition technique and more five days a week via Zoom. A portion of its proceeds benefit The Actors Fund and City Harvest.
To learn more about the organization and its virtual cabaret, visit bwayfromhome.com or follow them on Instagram (@bwayfromhome) and Facebook.
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. She highlights arts advocacy and education, theater fundraisers and more through her column, "Sightlines." Reach out on Twitter: @ilanakeller; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Andrew Lloyd Webber receives experimental COVID-19 vaccine