Andrew Lloyd Webber and Antonio Banderas announce new partnership

Musical writer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber and performer and director Antonio Banderas have announced a new partnership.

The pair will front a new organisation, Amigos Para Siempre (APS), in order to produce Spanish-language versions of Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cinderella, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and School of Rock.

The company is named after the 1992 song penned by Lloyd Webber and Don Black for the Barcelona Olympics.

Banderas said: "I had the great privilege to work closely with Andrew during the recording and shooting of his celebrated musical Evita in 1996, but it was when I saw Jesus Christ Superstar back in the early 70s that I became attached to the music, the theatre and the fabulous talent of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

"It wouldn't be wrong to say that I became an actor because of the enormous influence and the strong impression I experienced when I saw Andrew's musicals. To have the opportunity to work with one of the most respected and admired composers of all times, offering his amazing works for Spanish speaking audiences, is one of the highlights of my career in show business."

Lloyd Webber added: "Not only is Antonio Banderas entertainment royalty, he is also one of the most versatile, creative minds I have ever had the pleasure of working with. It is truly exciting to partner with Antonio to bring my work, as well as other brilliant Broadway and West End titles, to new markets.

"While millions of people in the Spanish-speaking world already love our shows and music, the appetite for more, and the level of musical and theatrical talent, is extraordinary. I can't wait to work with Antonio to bring the very highest-quality Spanish language productions to the world."

Banderas is busy in the world of theatre, with Spanish-language productions of A Chorus Line and Company both seen in recent years.

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