ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER - PHANTOM DELAYED BY LLOYD WEBBER'S WORKLOAD

Theatre impresario ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER blames his heavy reality TV workload for delaying the much-anticipated launch of his PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sequel. The composer has been working on the music for the untitled extravaganza, but regrets his busy schedule - working on such reality TV shows as How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do - has prevented him from finishing the project. Although the story - set on Coney Island, New York - is ready and primed for the stage, other sections of the score and production are far from complete. He tells WENN, "We haven't even got a working title for it yet. The actual story's written; most of the individual songs are written. It's not going to be complete as a piece of writing 'til late autumn, early winter because I've got so much so much other work going on all the time. It's difficult finding the time to finish it." But fans desperate to see the next Phantom installment should be able to scribble it into their 2009 diaries. Lloyd Webber adds, "My plan is that it will either get produced in the summer next year or probably more likely autumn next year. It also all depends on theatre availability."