Tim Rice is responsible for some of the most successful musicals of the 20th century (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Lion King). But in 2026, he wants you to dig deeper.

With his beloved (and frequently rewritten) musical Chess now back on Broadway, he’s turning his attentive eye to another piece from his back catalog: his 2000 collaboration with Elton John, Aida.

“Aida is the great ignored show of all time,” Rice shares, shaking his head in confusion. “It’s one of my favorite scores I’ve ever done.” The romantic musical, based on the great tragic opera of the same name, was inspired by a children's storybook version written by the soprano Leontyne Price. Set in both Ancient Egypt and the Egyptology wing of a modern museum, the musical marked the second major collaboration between Rice and composer Elton John, coming on the heels of The Lion King’s immense success in the late 1990s.

“I think, apart from The Lion King, it’s John’s best theatrical score as well. Disney asked us to write it straight for the theatre first, which was a little unusual, because everything I'd done with Disney at that point had been led by an animated feature that had been a hit … It didn’t get great reviews, but it ran for nearly five years, and I was very pleased with it.”

Starring Heather Headley, Adam Pascal, and Sherie Rene Scott, the show was the first new Broadway musical of the millennium when it began in 2000. Despite the mixed critical reviews, audiences flocked in droves, and the show picked up five Tony nominations, winning for Best Score, Best Lighting, Best Scenic, and Best Actress for Headley.

“I've been so lucky with brilliant divas, starting with Elaine Paige, and then Laurie Beechman and Judy Kuhn, but oh Heather Headley.” Rice pauses, smiling at a private memory. “There is nothing like a great musical lady, and she's one of the best.”

Though the musical ran for 1,852 performances, the piece has become overshadowed by the high number of productions Disney Theatricals has produced in the intervening 26 years. Aida enjoyed one national tour, and was otherwise laid to rest in 2004, with Rice’s English fans continuing to beg for a West End premiere.

Rice shrugs, giving the camera a puckish look. “It’s a good show. It would be nice to get it on there, and to put it up again here. It deserves another go.”

For more of Rice’s theatrical memories, including his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, their struggles to break into the American market, and his endless faith in Chess throughout its difficult journey to the present day, check out his episode of Playbill's My Life in the Theatre at the link above.