Watch CBS News

Summer Games will shutter London theaters, says Andrew Lloyd Webber

Some of the 4,700 2012 victory medals now being cast at the Royal Mint in Pontyclun, Wales. Production began on Oct. 27. Getty Images

(CBS /AP) LONDON - The Summer Olympic Games will force most of London's West End theaters to close for the summer, predicts composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Lloyd Webber said Friday the July games will make it "very tough" for shows in London and predicted that three major musicals would not play over the games.

The composer told BBC radio that the biggest hits such as his own "The Phantom of the Opera" would play over the games but that others would struggle to draw crowds.

He says advance bookings for West End shows were running at only 10 percent of their normal level.

Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group owns seven London theaters; others in the industry have predicted a slump in demand over the summer.

The games, to be held from July 27 to Aug. 12, are expected to bring millions of visitors to London this summer.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.