Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Awards Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber The Key To The City

April 14, 2023

Mayor Eric Adams: Great. Thank you. Thank you. And it's really, really exciting to be here to give the key of the city to Andrew Lloyd Webber for all of his contributions here. I was sharing with our honoree how much I grew up on his plays and the performances from Phantom of the Opera. One of the longest running performances is closing, but it gave us many years of just joy throughout the years. And we know that professionally, no matter how many great moments we have, we know we also have those personal moments of real pain. And our city joins you in the loss of your son, Nick. It was extremely impactful. But you have brought us so much joy, so much happiness. I remember as a young person watching Cats, one of the amazing performances on Broadway. You could bring Cats back because we hate rats in New York. So we would love it to be here.

But success after success. Think about the whole Don't Cry for Me Argentina and Evita. I could just go on and on and on. And all of us know our famous favorite lines, our favorite opportunities. And his continuing success, even the new performance of Bad Cinderella, we are looking at really the greatest of all time, a true, true contributor to Broadway.

And he keeps the lights on in our hearts as we keep the lights on in Broadway. Broadway is just really thriving. It's an economic boom for our city. When you look at the number of dollars that Phantom of the Opera brought to this city as part of our economy and the vibrancy of what's great about this city. People come to New York to experience Broadway and experience the shows that you allow us to appreciate.

Your accolades are so many. You won an Emmy, three Grammys, an Oscar, six Tonys, and a Golden Globe. Lloyd Webber has also been acknowledged and recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors. He has received a knighthood and been made a Lord by the late Queen Elizabeth. And today, I think when you look at all of those things, all of those honorees, nothing could be more significant than getting the key to the greatest city on the globe.

And so since you unlocked our hearts, we want to give you this key to New York City to hang up near many of the other great honorees you received. Just thank you so much.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber: Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you.

Well, thank you very, very much. This is only a wonderful moment for me. I, always since I was a little boy, loved musicals, and I've always loved American musicals in particular. And I grew up really with the Rodgers and Hammerstein shows.

And to come to Broadway, I mean, was a great, great excitement for me. My first ever stage show was Jesus Christ Superstar, which opened here, of course, in the now no longer Mark Hellinger Theater. And so Broadway has always been my kind of dream, and as I have said quite brilliantly, that Broadway is the reason that so many people come to New York and I felt very, very much a part of the community, even though I'm British. I still feel that this is the home of musicals and where I want to be.

So I'd like to just say thank you. Thank you very, very, very much. It's something that means a very great deal to me. And I hope that Broadway continues to thrive and that new shows come in. And what a wonderful thing it is to have a mayor who supports the theater. Thank you all very much. Thank you.