| The area of London known as the West End is | | | | endorsement of both the West End and the medium |
| actually about as central as it is possible to be in the | | | | of the musical: The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, |
| capital. It is wedged between three major parks, the | | | | Jesus Christ, Superstar, Joseph, Aspects of Love, |
| Thames and the City of London, and is the commercial | | | | Cats and Starlight Express is a small sample of |
| heartbeat of the city, with Bond Street, Regent Street | | | | household name shows. Even seemingly unlikely |
| and Oxford Street being its most famous shopping | | | | candidates such as Ben Elton have proved to be |
| areas. Embassies, government, media and top hotels | | | | talented writers of musicals for the West End, and |
| are based here. But when people refer in common | | | | luminaries such as Stephen Sondheim and Rogers & |
| parlance the the West End, they are usually talking | | | | Hammerstein regularly have had their work performed |
| about the theaters and playhouses and the shows | | | | here. |
| that make them famous in much the same way as | | | | Notable adaptations |
| Broadway is used as a general term for the New | | | | In skilful hands, a book, film, play or biography can be |
| York equivalent. The districts theatres are numerous, | | | | adapted to be a musical and vice versa. The Sound of |
| and are well known for hosting the grandest, most | | | | Music was a successful stage musical long before it |
| lavish and best loved shows as well as putting on | | | | became the Christmas perennial we all know and love, |
| plays that feature A-list names from not just the UK | | | | and its songs have become iconic. Indeed, My |
| but also Hollywood and beyond. | | | | Favourite Things has become a jazz standard, and a |
| World famous names | | | | recent BBC talent show was based around finding the |
| You do not have to be a Londoner to have heard of | | | | perfect Maria for a stage production. |
| the names that typify the West End experience: | | | | The music of Abba was made into the 1999 hit |
| Oxford Street, Strand, Shaftesbury Avenue, Drury | | | | musical Mamma Mia! And is one of the worlds top |
| Lane, Kingsway and the South Bank are synonymous | | | | grossing musicals, no doubt partly due to the enduringly |
| with performance. Names like Dominion, Palladium, | | | | popular songs, and a film version is set to continue this |
| Coliseum, Adelphi, Lyceum and the Royal Opera | | | | success. |
| House have obvious connotations, and because such | | | | A musical made from a book that is a prequel of an |
| venues represent the ultimate goal of every ambitious | | | | adaptation of another book can also succeed! This is |
| and talented performer, the shows and productions | | | | demonstrated by Wicked, a musical based on the |
| are among the most critically acclaimed in the world. | | | | early life of the Wicked Witch of the West, a |
| Some West End shows have made themselves the | | | | character in The Wizard of Oz, the 1939 movie of a |
| most thrilling, memorable and commercially successful | | | | 1900 book |
| works of art in history, and countless examples have | | | | If a musical is creative, imaginative and features |
| toured, wowing fans the world over. The shows of | | | | evocative songs, success at the West End could well |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber alone represent a sparkling | | | | leave its cultural mark on generations to come. |