Andrew Lloyd Webber has heavily praised Lady Gaga’s ‘Mayhem Ball’ show in London, describing it as “absolutely fabulous”.
The pop singer played a run of four shows in the O2 Arena in recent weeks as part of the tour supporting her latest album ‘Mayhem’, which was her seventh straight Number One record.
In attendance at one of the shows was musical theatre legend Webber, who shared his reaction to the show in a video on Instagram, in which he heaped praise on Gaga and saved special mention for the portion of the show in which she performs ‘Shallow’ in a rowing boat, in a nod to his production of The Phantom Of The Opera.
“I loved the Lady Gaga concert,” he said. “It was really fabulous. She really knows how to handle an audience. And it was a great evening.”
“It was so wonderful, actually, to see somebody really singing live, rather than, as we know, some artists who are really miming to a pre-recorded track. And there was nothing of that.”
“I was really, really pleased to see an opera house on stage, and even more pleased to see a boat with her in it being rowed across the big auditorium, that is O2,” he added. “It reminded me of something that I might have had a little involvement with.”
“I thought the concert was absolutely fabulous. And I think Lady Gaga is absolutely a world superstar.”
Gaga herself responded to his comments, replying to a video on TikTok: “This is. adream come true.”
NME was also at one of the London shows, writing in a glowing five star review: “Then, flames begin to flicker on top of the opera house behind her and she leaves the stage for the encore, returning make-up free, in a simple black outfit and beanie over the hair that’s been covered by countless wigs tonight. It’s a nod to the real person behind this artful masterpiece, but also another performance. Like every other that has come before it, though, it’s just perfect.”
The tour continues around Europe in the coming weeks – you can find all the dates and ticket information here.
In a four-star review of the ‘Mayhem’ album, NME wrote: “Ultimately, ‘Mayhem’ feels like a great Gaga album because it’s just so much fun. At times, it’s a bit like reconnecting with an old friend who makes sense even when they seem to be chatting nonsense. When she sings ‘river in my eyes, I’ve got a poem in my throat‘ on ‘LoveDrug’, it’s just her overblown way of saying she’s sad and tongue-tied.
“Seventeen years after she broke through with ‘Just Dance’, Lady Gaga remains pop’s foremost agent of impeccably crafted chaos.”
