Generally speaking, when a horde of animals takes over a major public building, there is a bit of an outcry. But when a mob of musical moggies took over the Beijing Exhibition Theatre in January, nobody really seemed to mind.

The hit musical Cats, back in Beijing for its second run after the original was cut short due to SARS, opened on January 19th to vast acclaim. Playing to packed houses, the 36-strong cast wowed audiences with their acrobatic dancing, spectacular stage effects and magnificent vocals.

Cats, based on Old Possums Book of Practical Cats by American poet T.S Eliot, is the brainchild of British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. In a career spanning forty years, Lloyd Webber has almost single-handedly reinvented musical theatre as an entertainment form, and his plays always open to packed houses in London's West End, New York's Broadway, and in theatres and playhouses all over the world.

Born in London on March 22nd, 1948, Lloyd Webber seemed destined for a life of musical genius from an early age – his mother was a famous violinist and pianist, and his father was a composer. At the age of 3, when he first went to school and heard other children playing musical instruments, he thought they were so bad he covered his ears.

By the time he was 9 he had published his first collection of music, and in 1971 he and long-term collaborator Tim Rice debuted their first Broadway production – Jesus Christ, Superstar. Telling the story of Jesus' last few days, the "rock opera" is very different to Lloyd Webber's later works and was condemned by some religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying "The idea of the whole opera is to have Christ seen through the eyes of Judas, and Christ as a man, not as a God."

In 1976, Lloyd Webber and Rice teamed up again to write Evita, a musical version of the life of Argentinian politician Eva Peron. The show was an instant success, and many believe it marked the start of Lloyd Webber's success.

Finally, in 1981, Lloyd Webber hit the West End with Cats, the first show for which he had written the music and most of the lyrics. Set in an oversized junk yard, Cats tells the story of a group of moggies who get together for the "Jellicle Ball", a night of tale-telling in which the cats will choose one of their number to go to the mystical "heaviside layer" (don't ask…)

Since Cats, Lloyd Webber has had a number of hit musicals produced on both Broadway and in the West End- shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Starlight Express and most recently The Sound of Music. He has recently been seen on UK television screens as a judge on the reality TV shows How do you solve a problem like Maria and Any Dream Will Do, in which he searches for actors and actresses to fill the lead roles in his productions.

In his personal life, Lloyd Webber is a happily-married family man. He lives in Sydmonton, UK, with his third wife Madeleine, their three children, and their cat, Otto. In 1997, he received a life peerage and became Lord Lloyd-Webber of Sydmonton. His production company, The Really Useful Group, owns a series of theatres across the United Kingdom, and in 2006 Lloyd Webber appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List as the 87th richest Briton, with a personal fortune of $1.4 billion.

When not busy being a musical genius, Lloyd Webber's personal hobbies include collecting art, watching his beloved Leyton Orient football club, and reading.

FANS often only see the good side of fame. They see the happy smiles and great success of famous people.

But it's difficult for them to understand everything that comes before then. They cannot see the hard work or the hours of practice.

Li Yundi, the Chinese piano prodigy, recently released his first concerto recording. He talked with Teens about his art and his job.

"Of course, the job is hard work," Li, 24, said. "You need to work hard to be a professional. But you also have to play hundreds of concerts, meet fans, and listen to critics of your music."

In 2000, when Li was 18, he won the top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. This was the first time the top prize had been given in 15 years. Li was also the youngest, and the first Chinese to win the prize.

Since then, Li became famous and his list of honours goes on and on.

Early days

Born in Chongqing, Li began to play piano when he was seven. His parents spent all their money and bought a piano for him - a luxury in 1980s China.

He worked hard. Every day, Li played for eight hours or more at a piano school. He often played even after the school had closed.

Today, Li still can't play a beautiful tune without careful preparation.

"You need to be ready on stage," Li said. "People are waiting for you. Nobody knows whether you have slept enough, or whether you have another problem in your life. But you need to play great music for your audience. That's what they want to hear."