NEW YORK — Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 70th birthday is coming up and it turns out there is something the composer really wants on his special day. More work.

The man behind such blockbuster shows as “Cats,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “School of Rock” has shows in London’s West End, Broadway and on tour, but he’d like to be composing another one.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's memoir is being published this month, as well as a four-CD collection of his songs. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

“The biggest birthday present to me would be to know that I’ve found another subject. Genuinely, that’s what I would most want for my 70th birthday: To know I’m writing,” he said.

Lloyd Webber may actually be close to another musical subject but doesn’t want to jinx it by revealing details. “Knowing me, I’ll find some speed bump along the line,” he said.

It’s typical of this restless, self-described perfectionist to be looking forward as his past is being celebrated in words, performances and music. His autobiography, “Unmasked,” is being released this month, along with a massive, four-CD collection of his songs, performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Lana Del Rey and Madonna. NBC plans a primetime tribute March 28.

The Lloyd Webber-mania also includes an upcoming live televised NBC version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles, and a new musical featuring his songs at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.

The book, which he jokingly refers to as a “medium sized doorstop,” covers the years from his birth to the creation of “The Phantom of the Opera.” It’s honest and very funny.

“I just hope it shows a little more about me to people who perhaps don’t know me,” he said in his apartment overlooking Central Park. “I just hope I’ve told some of the funniest stores and they’re not too boring for people.”

Related Stories