Whistle Down the Wind (1996 musical)

Whistle Down the Wind
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Music	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics	Jim Steinman
Book	Patricia Knop Andrew Lloyd Webber Gale Edwards
Basis	1961 film Whistle Down the Wind
Productions	1996 Washington DC 1998 West End 2001 UK Tour 2006 West End revival 2007–08 U.S. Tour 2010 UK Tour

Whistle Down the Wind is a musical with music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who also co-wrote its book with Patricia Knop and Gale Edwards, and its lyrics were written by Jim Steinman. It is based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, whose source novel of the same name was written by Mary Hayley Bell in 1959.

The musical premièred in 1996 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., and a concept album was released the same year. It was produced in the West End in 1998 and has been revived several times since then and toured extensively.

The show premièred at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. on 12 December 1996, starring Davis Gaines as the Man and Irene Molloy as Swallow. It drew mostly negative reviews, and the Broadway opening that had been scheduled for 17 April 1997, was subsequently cancelled.

Lloyd Rose, the Washington Post reviewer wrote that the musical "...is just dull...Steinman and Lloyd Webber's differing styles of gothic intensity might have been expected to be mutually enhancing, but in fact they cancel each other out... Harold Prince brings all his brilliant directing skills to bear on the material, and with Binkley and set designer Andrew Jackness he produces some inventive, often startling staging." The Variety critic praised the Lloyd Webber score, writing it is "a pleasing collection of numbers that range from his trademark melodies to boisterous country barn dances and rocking hymns. ...he has produced some excellent work." He further wrote that "Jim Steinman’s lyrics are consistently on the money." and "Director Prince keeps proceedings moving briskly and excels at easing characters into their numerous numbers."

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