The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast)
The Woman in White,Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical in four years, debuted in London in September 2004.  "Freely adapted" from Wilkie Collins's gothic mystery-romance, it tells the story of a young art teacher, Walter Hartright (Martin Crewes), who encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white desperate to tell a secret.  But she disappears, and Walter continues on to his assignment teaching a pair of sisters, Marian Holcombe (Maria Friedman) and Laura Fairlie (Jill Paice).  Romance develops, but is threatened by the arrival of some shady characters, Sir Percival Glyde (Oliver Darley) and Count Fosco (Michael Crawford).The score, featuring lyrics byDavid Zippel(City of Angels), recalls the composer'sAspects of Love,Phantom of the Opera, andSunset Boulevard, as well as Victorian-themed showsSweeney Toddand evenThe Mystery of Edwin Drood.  It has some lovely moments, such as "Trying Not to Notice," "All for Laura," "Evermore without You," and "If Not for Me for Her," though for sheer beauty it's noLight in the Piazza. And as with any ALW nearly through-sung musical, a number of the themes recycle themselves to the point where you'll dread the mere mention of certain characters' names.  Friedman and Paice give the strongest performances, while Crawford--in his much-anticipated reunion with Lloyd Webber afterPhantom--doesn't have a lot to do other than the muggy showpiece "You Can Get Away with Anything."  Note thatThe Woman in Whitewas recorded before a live audience, but "You Can Get Away with Anything" had to be rerecorded in a studio because it was the only number with an audible audience reaction.  Crawford's original live performance, however, is included as a coda at the end of the second disc. It's great to have the complete libretto, except that it specifies scene titles while the CD packaging shows track listings and song titles, which means that figuring out where you are takes some detective work. WhenThe Woman in Whiteopened on Broadway in November 2005, Friedman, Paice, and Angela Christian (Anne Catherick) reprised their roles from the London production, while Michael Ball replaced Crawford.--David Horiuchi