Andrew Lloyd Webber Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

The musical genius behind the 1980s musical, The Phantom of the Opera has been diagnosed with prostate cancer according to BBC News . The good news is that the cancer has been caught very early and Lloyd Webber "expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year."

The 61-year-old composer/ producer is needed back at the piano soon because he is in the throes of creating a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, a musical that was just turned into a major motion picture in 2004. Radaronline.com reports that the sequel is entitled Love Never Dies. It is scheduled to open in London, March 2010.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has written such popular musicals as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He was also an American Idol "mentor," but is unfortunately not a Simon Cowell fan.