Andrew Lloyd Webber celebration to be broadcast on BBC Radio Two

Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famous composer, will be featured in a programme on BBC Radio Two to commemorate his 75th birthday.

The programme will take a nostalgic look at his celebrated career through a selection of his most popular songs and performances by stars including Barbara Streisand, Elaine Paige, Diana Ross, Michael Ball and Michael Crawford. Additionally, Webber will share behind-the-scenes stories about his most notable works.

Webber will reflect on personal experiences, including how he knew Madonna would perform Evita years before it happened, the genesis of the roller-skating cast in Starlight Express, and how Jason Donovan and his Technicolour Dream Coat influenced a new generation of musical theater fans.

The show will be broadcast on Saturday 25 March (time to be confirmed). The date coincides with the BBC One teleivision broadcast of the Big Night of Musicals, which sees the major Manchester arena event being shown over 90 minutes.

Before this, from 19 March a special BBC Sounds programme will explore the effects of HIV/AIDS on the theatre community, presented by Cock and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey.

The show will feature interviews with producers Cameron Mackintosh and Nick Allott, lyricist Tim Rice and musical director Jae Alexander, alongside performers such as actor and activist Jill Nalder (Les Misérables), Claire Moore (The Phantom of the Opera), Craig Revel Horwood, Stifyn Parri (Les Misérables), and Make A Difference charity’s Melanie Tranter.