Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice End Partnership Over Musical Dispute

The acclaimed songwriting duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have experienced a significant rift, with Lloyd Webber withdrawing his music from a new production and Rice stating they may never work together again.

The dispute centers on a musical adaptation of "Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas," which premiered last year. Ahead of its upcoming revival at Alexandra Palace in London, Lloyd Webber has pulled his score.

According to Rice, Lloyd Webber, 78, "withdrew his score," feeling the project was "not up [his] alley" and that he is "more concerned with much bigger productions." Rice told The Times that Lloyd Webber "really didn't want to continue with the show."

Lloyd Webber, however, offered a different account. He stated that the show's producers, Donald and Eva Rice—Tim Rice's children—decided not to use his composed music for the Birmingham production for two reasons. The composer indicated he was informed that further work was needed on the show, which his schedule would not permit him to undertake. Additionally, Lloyd Webber stated he was asked to sign over the rights to his music for five years in advance, without any right of approval for its use in a production he had not seen. He felt this lack of basic approval was unacceptable.

Rice has since begun reworking the songs with composer Howard Goodall. When asked if Goodall's new songs were superior to Lloyd Webber's, Rice declined to comment. Lloyd Webber expressed well wishes for the show and called Goodall "a great composer and a really great choice to replace me."

The partnership between Lloyd Webber and Rice, which began in the 1960s, is responsible for some of musical theater's most enduring hits, including "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1968), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1971), and "Evita" (1978). These productions have garnered numerous awards, been translated into multiple languages, and performed globally.

Their collaborations since these major successes have been infrequent. They co-wrote the song "You Must Love Me" for the 1996 film version of "Evita," starring Madonna, and Rice contributed additional lyrics for Lloyd Webber's 2011 musical "The Wizard Of Oz."

Rice, also known for his lyrics for "The Lion King," was unable to confirm whether he and Lloyd Webber would collaborate again in the future.