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| Lloyd Webber responds to 'libel' | Lloyd Webber responds to 'libel' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber is considering taking legal action over press reports regarding his West End revival of The Sound of Music. | Theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber is considering taking legal action over press reports regarding his West End revival of The Sound of Music. |
| "I didn't think I would be looking at a major libel case," he told BBC Breakfast following claims his recent talent search programme was rigged. | |
| Connie Fisher won How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? earlier this month. | Connie Fisher won How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? earlier this month. |
| "We had no idea who was going to win it," said Lord Lloyd-Webber, calling contrary claims "absolute nonsense". | "We had no idea who was going to win it," said Lord Lloyd-Webber, calling contrary claims "absolute nonsense". |
| "I don't see how you could fix it," he added. "I didn't know until three minutes before the end of the show." | "I don't see how you could fix it," he added. "I didn't know until three minutes before the end of the show." |
| Had there been any suggestion of duplicity, he said, "the BBC would have been down on me like a ton of bricks". | Had there been any suggestion of duplicity, he said, "the BBC would have been down on me like a ton of bricks". |
| The BBC would have been down on me like a ton of bricks Andrew Lloyd Webber | The BBC would have been down on me like a ton of bricks Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| An article in Saturday's Independent newspaper referred to complaints made by two unsuccessful Maria contestants that Fisher was recording a CD before the final. | An article in Saturday's Independent newspaper referred to complaints made by two unsuccessful Maria contestants that Fisher was recording a CD before the final. |
| Lord Lloyd-Webber, however, said Fisher had been recording her own album, a project unrelated to the BBC's programme. | Lord Lloyd-Webber, however, said Fisher had been recording her own album, a project unrelated to the BBC's programme. |
| The Phantom of the Opera composer also rubbished claims that the departure of "alternate" Maria Emma Williams had been acrimonious. | The Phantom of the Opera composer also rubbished claims that the departure of "alternate" Maria Emma Williams had been acrimonious. |
| Williams, who previously appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was contracted to share the role of Maria with the eventual winner. | Williams, who previously appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was contracted to share the role of Maria with the eventual winner. |
| Emma Williams withdrew from The Sound of Music on FridayFollowing Fisher's declaration that she wished to appear in every performance, however, she "withdrew her services" from the production. | Emma Williams withdrew from The Sound of Music on FridayFollowing Fisher's declaration that she wished to appear in every performance, however, she "withdrew her services" from the production. |
| "Emma said that under the circumstances, she didn't feel she wanted to stay," Lord Lloyd-Webber said in a subsequent interview with Radio Five Live. | |
| Her departure, he said, had been "perfectly amicable". | Her departure, he said, had been "perfectly amicable". |
| Despite the speculation regarding his talent show's outcome, Lord Lloyd-Webber said he was considering a US version, potentially involving his own musical Jesus Christ Superstar. | Despite the speculation regarding his talent show's outcome, Lord Lloyd-Webber said he was considering a US version, potentially involving his own musical Jesus Christ Superstar. |
| "The reason Maria worked was we were really trying to do something new," he said. | "The reason Maria worked was we were really trying to do something new," he said. |
| "It's been fantastic for musical theatre in general." | "It's been fantastic for musical theatre in general." |
| The Sound of Music opens at the London Palladium in November. | The Sound of Music opens at the London Palladium in November. |