He's given the world some of its most famous stage musicals, now Andrew Lloyd Webber is determined not to take his final bow ahead of time, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The acclaimed 61-year-old composer behind smash-hit musicals Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Phantom Of The Opera kept the news secret while he set about launching the much-anticipated sequel to Phantom, Love Never Dies.
"Andrew's condition is in its very early stages," a rep revealed last week. "He is now undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year."
It is understood Andrew is determined to live his dream of seeing Love Never Dies come to fruition on stage, and told reporters earlier this month, "If it does a third as well as the old Phantom, I'll be very happy."
And so he should be. The original has had a 23-year run in London so far, played to more than 100 million people worldwide and collected box office takings of $5.6 billion.
Love Never Dies, due to open in London and New York next year and Australia in 2011, is said to have taken Andrew 17 years to compose.
By making his cancer diagnosis public, Andrew hopes other men will be encouraged to get tested.
