“It feels like the Broadway League conference, but with better food and wine,” says a source. The VIPs who did score seats include the Shuberts, the Nederlanders, producer Scott Rudin, Disney Theatrical head Tom Schumacher, actor Michael Caine and various producers and theater owners who book shows throughout the United States. A five-piece band accompanied the actors, but through Lloyd Webber’s state-of-the-art system, it “sounded like a 50-piece orchestra,” a source says. The score is Lloyd Webber at his most melodic, Zippel’s lyrics are funny and Fennell’s script witty and poignant, evoking, one person says, the best of the classic Disney movies.

There were only three performances - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - and bulletins were arriving as I wrote this. “Everybody’s dying to get in,” says someone who can usually snap his fingers and get a seat to anything. The tight space means that some VIPs are on a waitlist. But “Cinderella” is being showcased at Lloyd Webber’s the Other Palace, a 300-seat theater just around the corner from the palace: Buckingham. Lloyd Webber usually premieres his new shows at Sydmonton, his vast estate outside London. Cinderella falls in love with Sebastian, an adorable oddball. In this retelling, Prince Charming is gay, and runs off with a duke. It’s still set in the land of castles and fairy godmothers, but the title character doesn’t need a Prince Charming to fulfill her needs. They and lyricist David Zippel (“City of Angels”) have given “Cinderella” a modern twist. (She’s overseeing the second season of “Killing Eve.”)

The heat is intense on this one, not only because Lloyd Webber is the most successful composer in theater history, but because his collaborator is Emerald Fennell, the actress (“Call the Midwife”) and writer. Broadway’s power brokers took time out from Tony season this week to fly to London to see “Cinderella,” the new musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Andrew lloyd webber cinderella prince