Editing Really Useful Group (section)

==Divisions==

===Really Useful Theatre Company===
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The '''Really Useful Theatre Company''' produces and manages plays and musicals, mainly, but not limited to those written by Lloyd Webber. It is also responsible for licensing its productions worldwide. In the 1990s, RUT mainly produced shows on its own, but more recently has again developed partnerships with other producers and production companies, notably [[Bill Kenwright]], to produce its works, as it had done in the 1980s with [[Cameron Mackintosh]].

Among its productions and co-productions are:

*''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Tim Rice]] – London, Broadway, Los Angeles, worldwide
*''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'' – Lloyd Webber/Rice – London, Broadway, worldwide
*''[[Evita (musical)|Evita]]'' – Lloyd Webber/Rice –  London, Broadway, worldwide
*''[[Tell Me on a Sunday]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Don Black (lyricist)|Don Black]] – London, UK tour
*''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[T. S. Eliot]] – London, Broadway, worldwide
*''[[Starlight Express]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Richard Stilgoe]] – London, Broadway, worldwide
*''[[Song and Dance]]'' – Lloyd Webber/Black – London, Broadway
*''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Charles Hart (lyricist)|Charles Hart]]/Stilgoe – London, Broadway, worldwide
*''[[Aspects of Love]]'' – Lloyd Webber/Black & Hart – London, Broadway, 2007 UK tour
*''[[By Jeeves]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Alan Ayckbourn]] – London, Broadway
*''[[Whistle Down the Wind (1996 musical)|Whistle Down the Wind]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Jim Steinman]] – Washington, D.C., London, UK tours
*''[[The Beautiful Game (musical)|The Beautiful Game]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[Ben Elton]] – London
*''[[The Woman in White (musical)|The Woman in White]]'' – Lloyd Webber/[[David Zippel]] – London, Broadway
*''[[Bombay Dreams]]'' – [[A. R. Rahman|Rahman]]/Black – London, Broadway
*''[[The Sound of Music]]'' – [[Richard Rodgers]]/[[Oscar Hammerstein II]] – 2006 [[London Palladium]] production
*''[[Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical|Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical]]''; Various; London 2009
*''[[Love Never Dies (musical)|Love Never Dies]]''; Lloyd Webber/Elton/[[Glenn Slater]]; London 2010
*''[[The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)|The Wizard of Oz]]''; London 2010
*''Daisy Pulls it Off'' – Denise Deegan – London
*''[[The Hired Man]]'' – [[Howard Goodall]]/[[Melvyn Bragg]] – London
*''[[Lend Me a Tenor]]'' – [[Ken Ludwig]] – London, Broadway
*''[[La Bête (play)|La Bête]]'' – David Hirson – Broadway, London
*''[[School of Rock (musical)|School of Rock]]''; Broadway 2015

In 2016, Really Useful partnered with Concord Theatricals to act as representative for licensing its works in North America.  In October 2021, the groups extended the partnership through 2025.<ref>{{cite news| title=Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, Concord Theatricals Extend Partnership (EXCLUSIVE)| first=Brent| last=Lang| url=https://variety.com/2021/theater/news/andrew-lloyd-webber-really-useful-group-concord-theatricals-1235098530/#!| date=27 October 2021| access-date=2021-11-07| newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

===Really Useful Films===
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[[File:Really Useful Films.png|200px|thumb|right|Really Useful Films logo]]
'''Really Useful Films''' is responsible for the production of film versions of Lloyd Webber's catalogue. Initially, these had consisted of lower budget straight-to-video versions of the shows (''Cats'', ''Joseph'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar,'' and ''By Jeeves''), but in 2004 the Really Useful Films completed the film ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'', directed by [[Joel Schumacher]] and starring [[Gerard Butler]] and [[Emmy Rossum]], which was nominated for three [[Academy Award]]s and three [[Golden Globe]]s.

It has also released DVD and video versions of Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], the 2001 ''Masterpiece – Andrew Lloyd Webber in China'' concert and a musical version of ''[[The Gruffalo]]''.

The film director [[Nick Morris (director)|Nick Morris]] is regularly involved with the films division.

===Really Useful Records===
<!--redirect [[Really Useful Records]] links here-->{{See also|Category:Albums produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber}}

'''Really Useful Records''' produces cast albums of Lloyd Webber musicals. From 1986 until Lloyd Webber regained full control of the company in 1999, Really Useful Records had an exclusive deal with [[PolyGram]] to release albums through its [[Polydor Records|Polydor]] label. Really Useful continues to release its albums and DVDs through Universal, current owners of PolyGram. Aside from cast albums, Lloyd Webber has also produced albums for [[Marti Webb]], [[Sarah Brightman]], [[Connie Fisher]], Andrea Ross and [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]] via the label.

[[Lee Mead]], who won the lead role in 2007's [[West End theatre|West End]] revival of Lloyd Webber and [[Tim Rice]]'s ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'' by taking part in [[BBC One]]'s ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' recorded a single of the song "[[Any Dream Will Do (song)|Any Dream Will Do]]". The contest's third-placed Lewis Bradley and second-placed [[Keith Jack]] joined him on "Close Every Door To Me". Really Useful Records released the double-A side single to raise funds for the [[BBC]]'s annual [[Children in Need]] charity appeal.<ref name=any>{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/joseph/about/about.shtml| title=About| website=Any Dream Will Do| date=28 October 2014| access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref>

===LW Theatres===
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'''LW Theatres''' owns and manages six [[West End theatre|West End]] theatres:

#[[Adelphi Theatre]] (in association with the [[Nederlander Organization]])
#[[Cambridge Theatre]]
#[[Gillian Lynne Theatre]]
#[[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]]
#[[London Palladium]]
#[[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]]

The group also included the [[Off West End]] venue [[The Other Palace]], formerly known as the St James Theatre which it sold to Bill Kenwright in October 2021. The theatre reopened under its new owner following a closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic with a revival of the musical [[Heathers: The Musical|Heathers]].

Lloyd Webber purchased the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]] in 1983, followed by the New London (now [[Gillian Lynne Theatre|Gillian Lynne]]) and the [[Adelphi Theatre|Adelphi]]. In 1999, Lloyd Webber and NatWest Equity Partners bought the [[Moss Empires|Stoll Moss]] group, owner of 10 London theatres, including the [[London Palladium]] and the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], for £85 million from Australian businesswoman [[Janet Holmes à Court]], and formed Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber buys London theatres |date=9 January 2000 |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/596495.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref>

In 2004, operational control of the [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]] reverted from Really Useful Theatres back to [[Cameron Mackintosh]]'s Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The transfer of operational control of the adjoining [[Gielgud Theatre]] from Really Useful Theatres to Delfont Mackintosh Theatres followed two years later. On 11 July 2005, the company sold four theatres (the [[Apollo Theatre|Apollo]], the [[Duchess Theatre|Duchess]], the [[Lyric Theatre (London)|Lyric]], and the [[Garrick Theatre|Garrick]]) to Nimax Theatres Ltd, a company owned by [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] producer Max Weitzenhoffer, who previously had been a rival bidder for the Stoll Moss theatres, and Nica Burns, production director of Really Useful Theatres.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber sells four theatres |date=11 July 2005 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4672413.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref> Lloyd Webber invested £10 million of the proceeds from the sales in October 2005 to buy the interest of his partner [[Bridgepoint Capital|Bridgepoint]] (formerly [[NatWest]] Equity Partners), and renamed the group ''Really Useful Theatres Group''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lloyd Webber takes over theatres |date=5 November 2005 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4410280.stm |access-date=29 May 2007}}</ref> Nimax purchased The Palace in 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/andrew-lloyd-webber-sells-londons-palace-theatre-com-192412| title=Andrew Lloyd Webber Sells London's Palace Theatre| journal=[[Playbill]]| last=Gans| first=Andrew| date=11 April 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414191409/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/164752-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Sells-Londons-Palace-Theatre| archive-date=14 April 2012| access-date=7 November 2021}}</ref> In 2014, the group split into two companies, and the owner of the theatres was named ''Really Useful Theatres''.<ref name=Dennys1>Dennys, Harriet (24 March 2014). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10718055/Lord-Lloyd-Webber-splits-theatre-group-to-expand-on-a-global-stage.html "Lord Lloyd-Webber splits theatre group to expand on a global stage"]. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. London. Retrieved 3 October 2014.</ref> In 2018, Really Useful Theatres changed its name to ''LW Theatres'' to avoid confusion with the other companies owned by Lloyd Webber.<ref>Hetrick, Adam (July 26, 2018). [http://www.playbill.com/article/andrew-lloyd-webbers-really-useful-theatres-announces-name-change "Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatres Announces Name Change"]. ''Playbill''.</ref>

===Really Useful Magazines===
The company formed '''Really Useful Magazines Ltd''' to distribute ''Theatregoer'' magazine, a monthly magazine edited and published on the Really Useful Group's behalf by the publishing agency Axon Publishing. Published beginning in 2000, the magazine was available in conjunction with the programmes in all Really Useful Theatres. Really Useful sold ''Theatregoer'' magazine to Bandwidth Communications, the publisher of ''[[Whatsonstage.com]]'', in April 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/lloyd-webber-offloads-theatregoer-magazine/510219 |title=Lloyd Webber offloads Theatregoer magazine |magazine=[[Campaign (magazine)|Campaign]] |access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref>

===Other interests===
The Really Useful Group has, in the past, set up sub-labels to cater for pop and dance acts, such as ''Carpet Records'', featuring [[Timmy Mallett]]'s [[Bombalurina (band)|Bombalurina]] ("[[Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini|Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini]]") and [[Doctor Spin]] ("[[Tetris (Doctor Spin song)|Tetris]]"); and ‘’It Records’’, home to [[My Life Story]] in the late 1990s. The name Carpet Records was a play on the acronym RUG, of the Really Useful Group.

===Charitable donation===
The group on 27 June 2007 announced that it would donate all receipts from two special performances of a revived [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' to the [[BBC]]'s [[Children in Need]] charity appeal, which would benefit from ticket sales for 16 July's preview and performance of 16 November, on the night of the annual [[Children in Need]] telethon.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/| title=Joseph The Musical| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624082254/http://www.josephthemusical.com/news.html/| archive-date=24 June 2007}}{{failed verification|date=November 2021}}</ref> Viewers of a [[BBC One]] television show, ''[[Any Dream Will Do (TV series)|Any Dream Will Do!]]'' had voted 25-year-old [[West End theatre|West End]] ensemble player and understudy [[Lee Mead]] to take role of Joseph in the production.<ref>{{cite news| title=Mead Wins Lead in London Revival of Lloyd Webber and Rice's Joseph| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/mead-wins-lead-in-london-revival-of-lloyd-webber-and-rices-joseph-com-141402| last=Gans| first=Andrew| date=10 June 2007| journal=Playbill| access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml| title=Public vote says West End in need of Lee Mead| date=9 June 2007| publisher=BBC One| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920123515/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/09/dream.shtml| archive-date=20 September 2007}}</ref>  During the contest's 9 June 2007 final, host [[Graham Norton]] said that ''Children in Need'' had benefited by more than £500,000 in income from viewer voting on premium-rate telephone lines.