STAGE TUBE: Andrew Lloyd Webber Reveals Inspiration for EVITA on 'George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight'

Andrew Lloyd Webber will be appearing on the Canadian talk show George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight on Monday, September 24 at 7 pm on CBC Television (Canada's national public broadcaster) for an in depth interview. The full interview can also be watched via live stream at www.strombo.com. Until then, check out this preview clip from Webber's interview on the show, in which he reveals that the inspiration for Evita came from one of Judy Gardland's last-ever performances. 

Webber also talks about recreating The Wizard Of Oz for the stage and CBC's OVER THE RAINBOW. When he recalls seeing one of Judy Garland's last-ever performances, in which she vainly attempted to sing Over The Rainbow but couldn't get through it, Webber then reveals how this moment was an inspiration for the musical Evita:

"I thought, what if I gave her an anthem, which became Don't Cry for Me Argentina, that then turned on her, the way Over The Rainbow had for Garland? The final broadcast where (Evitas) dying of cancer, I remembered that moment with Garland, where she couldn't get through it but was trying. Anyone who remembers Garland at her peak, seeing this shattered, drug-ridden woman - the song literally bit her, turned round on her and swallowed her up."

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