I have the published album from the show, but if I had written it out I would have come up with the same result, as the original cast recordings from the show are performed in the same way. I don't doubt that it has been altered by various artists along the way, but I'm writing about the original version composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, so the sheet music can hardly be wrong.

I also don't doubt that there is a ritardando in various interpretations of it including the originals, but that alone won't make the METRE accurate.

It's very strange to say that it is all about tempo. Of course if you play four quarter notes at 120 bpm followed by four quarter notes
at 240 bpm the result will be of four quarter notes followed by four eighth notes, played at 120 bpm. (Or four half notes followed by
four quarter notes played at 60 bpm....or....... anyway, you'd agree this is would be a more than slightly ridiculous way of notating it)

The original question was about how to play this piece correctly... that's the answer.