Houdini

[foxie]

that would be really sad -he has worked hard on the play learning tricks etc-was looking so forward to it!!He needs to be on stage!!!!

[luzie]

May 31, 2013 7:04:38 GMT -5 foxie said:

He needs to be on stage!!!!

But this time in Europe (London ...) please!

[mamaleh]

May 30, 2013 23:46:47 GMT -5 jo said:

I hope that someone asks Hugh during the heavy promotion for The Wolverine ( talk shows and press junkets) what his short-term plans are, for movies or theatre. Maybe in a month or so time, he will be making the rounds of talk shows.

Er...I'm afraid that City Encores or very limited-performance concerts will only be for the benefit of those who can have ready access to New York shows. Not for us who live thousands of miles away...and need to plan the trip way much ahead ( schedule-wise and budget-wise)

If he opts to do only very short-term shows in NYC, then I will just have to hope that another movie musical is in his medium term plans. I may have to retire my skills for projecting theatrical shows for Hugh - LOL!

Jo

You're right, Jo. I agree with those who live a continent or more away: It would be great if he could finally perform in other places for his global fans.

I was just thinking in terms of what would fit his schedule and where he spends most of his time.

Ellen

[jo]

All is not lost >

Two new update posts on the BWW thread --

Nerwen

houdini
Posted: 5/31/13 at 12:49am

That is indeed very sad. Back in February 2013 in an itnerview he still said he likes to do it and that he hopes for it to start in one year, means February 2014.

I saw now that James Racheff is the one writing the book. Is that a new development? Didn´t noticed his name on that side before.

I still hope Hugh will make it.




lemiz1862

houdini
Posted: 5/31/13 at 09:22am

Sorry @behindthescenes2, but your info is incorrect. Jackman is still attached to the show. Schwartz is hoping to finish the score by the end of the year and a reading (with Jackman) is scheduled for December.

Hope lemiz1862 has the more accurate source! Of course, Hugh would be the most logical person to clarify his future plans


Jo

[jo]

The other info on who is writing the book of the musical, vice Aaron Sorkin --

The person mentioned (James Racheff) by the other poster had written the lyrics to another HOUDINI musical ( more of a musical biopic, circa 2004) --

jamesracheff.blogspot.com/p/musicals.html#houd

Could he have been asked to take over the book for this HOUDINI musical?

Jo

[mamaleh]

Yes, I saw that new post, Jo. I certainly hope all is not lost with HOUDINI. It would be great to hear Hugh tackle original songs not associated with any other performer or show. Wishing Racheff good luck with the book.

Ellen

[jo]

Another hopeful post --

BWay Fan

houdini
Posted: 6/1/13 at 09:29pm

Heard there would be rumblings about what's going on w/ Houdini at the Tonys and it was still on for spring of 2014

Rumblings at the TONYs? You mean Hugh will either be a guest performer or NPH will gossip about forthcoming shows?

Jo

[jo]

Another tiny ( and hopeful) hint

The New York Observer has published an in-depth article on DAVID ROCKWELL, who is not just a Broadway set designer ( He is nominated for his work in KINKY BOOTS and LUCKY GUY) and an Oscars set designer ( the 2009 Oscars stage/front rows, plus the then Kodak Theatre/now Dolby where the Oscars are held), he is also the head of one of the leading architectural firms in the USA. He has been announced to handle the set design for HOUDINI...and he is acknowledged as the LEAD producer for the show since the formal announcement for the show was made a couple of years back.

observer.com/2013/06/set-theory/

Jack O’Brien, who employed Mr. Rockwell before (for Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Catch Me If You Can and Dead Accounts) and will again (for Hugh Jackman’s Houdini), is as awed as all of us at his boundless creativity: “I love the fact that he’s a sort of universal—by that, I mean he comes from so many disciplines,” the director explains.

As the article is current (and it seems to be a very well-researched and well-interviewed one), I am hoping that the mention of HOUDINI with Hugh is also very current


Jo

[birchie]

Sadly, the current Stephen Schwartz newsletter was released today with not a single word about Houdini. Here's a link if anyone wants to read it: www.theschwartzscene.com/quarterly-newsletter/issue-50-spring-2013/
Sue

[jo]

Thanks, Sue.

This is the smallest hope that I take from Stephen's own update --

So that’s my spring report, as I head into a summer of writing. I wish myself inspiration, or at least perseverance, and I guess I wish the same for all of you. Thanks as always for your interest and enjoy your summer.

There is no other project that he has mentioned ( I read his report twice, to be sure) that he is working on which seems like a longterm project, so presumably he may be referring to the rest of HOUDINI. According to that BWW poster who shared an update, Stephen is committed to complete the score by the end of the year with a reading with Hugh scheduled for December. Crossing my fingers that this is what is meant


Jo

[mamaleh]

Yes, I read that Schwartz letter this morning and was similarly hoping for some positive news--or any news, for that matter. We'll have to be patient, it seems.

[birchie]

Jun 7, 2013 12:10:38 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

Yes, I read that Schwartz letter this morning and was similarly hoping for some positive news--or any news, for that matter. We'll have to be patient, it seems.

I'm sooooo not good at that! The older I get, the less patient I am. I thought it was supposed to be the other way around!
Sue

[jo]

Posted by somoene ( Nerwen) on the BWW board --

I´m not sure what that means for Houdini, but Stephen Schwartz is to write the score for a new Austrian musical with the working title "Schikaneder", which is to open in the 2015/2016 season in Vienna. I just wonder how it workds, I would think that the songs are in german or is he only the composer and someone else writes the lyrics?

I´m quite excited for this but hope it doesn´t affect Houdini negatively.

Here is the link for the article, sadly only in german:

kurier.at/kultur/buehne/schikaneder-vbw-planen-neues-musical-von-oscar-preistraeger/15.799.053

And I wonder how he does it, couse isn´t it planned that the prince of Egypt shall open on Broadway and that he and Menken are working on the score?!?!

This was the original site with his photo during the press conference

www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fkurier.at%2Fkultur%2Fbuehne%2Fschikaneder-vbw-planen-neues-musical-von-oscar-preistraeger%2F15.799.053


This doesn't seem to bode well for HOUDINI, even if that musical is set for a 2015/2016 opening in Vienna. Two things that are possible --

*He expects to complete the work on Houdini by this year and that he will be needed only up to Opening Night, presumably in spring of 2014?

*Houdini has been dropped as a Broadway project and he may start recycling the melodies for new shows or new projects?


Jo

[klenotka]

I know this is not a popular opinion but...I am not sure I want to see this. It is great to see Hugh happy about something and he is obviously very excited. But a new musical is a very tricky thing (and from what I have seen lately, critics are waiting with their knives open to see Hugh fail in something) and I just don´t think Hugh is a good fit for the character of Houdini. A biographical musical like this, it may have worked with Peter Allen who was a singer and a big entertainer. I guess Houdini was just an entertainer of his time but singing to him doesn´t seem right to me. I would much rather prefer this to be a straight play.
Also....from a purely selfish and self-centered reason (and I am sorry about that) - Us, who can´t afford to see him twenty times on stage and stand at a stage door every night, this means his absence from a screen for about two, maybe three years, without a chance to see him ONCE on stage. Or maybe just once. I know he loves stage but whatever happened to do "Shakespeare in London"? I got a wonderful opportunity to see great Scott Bakula on stage last year, because he decided to do a new play in a small theater in London (for about 150 people). It was sold out as well and people loved it. Why can´t Hugh do something similar? It wouldn´t take too long to rehearse and in a limited run for two or three months. He could get the joy of being back on stage while showing also to people in Europe how great he is. Not everybody knew him when he was in Oklahoma those many years ago...*rant over*

[lucky]

I think Hugh would be amazing and I doubt he would be away from screen for too long, I have no idea for how long he would do his musical if it finally happens but I doubt it would be longer than a few months, maybe enough months to be eligible for the Tonys.

Regarding the Schwartz news, I don´t thnk it is necessarily bad for Houdini, it depends when Schwartz is finished with the Houdini score. But someone in another forum said that Schwartz hopes to finish the score by the end of 2013. I´m no expert in musicals and how long it takes to bring it on stage, but isn´t it a little bit brief to bring Houdini in spring 2014 on stage when the score is barely ready at the end of 2013?

Even if Schwartz is ready with the score not earlier than mid 2014, then the show could still open in fall 2014 or like one article told us in spring 2015 (maybe early 2015 is the most realistic take on it, but they would have to change 2013/14 season to 2014/15 season). If the score is finished end 2013 or mid 2014 Stephen has enough time to devote himself to the new Austrian musical which doesn´t open till the end 2015 or the first half of 2016.

Probably Schwartz can do scores for several musicals at the same time anyway. ;-) I sooo much hope it happens, I´m, such a fan of Hugh and Stephen and it would be amazing to see/hear Hugh sing Stephens songs.

[jo]

Lenka,

I do understand your frustration about not being able to see Hugh perform live or that he has not broadened the international stages in which to show off his talent. But --

In his one-man show, Back on Broadway, there were two songs he featured which expressed his personal sentiments :

THEY SAY THE NEON LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT ON BROADWAY
THEY SAY THERE'S ALWAYS MAGIC IN THE AIR
BUT WHEN YOU'RE WALKIN' DOWN THE STREET
AND YOU AIN'T HAD ENOUGH TO EAT
THE GLITTER RUBS RIGHT OFF AND YOU'RE NOWHERE...


THEY SAY THAT I WON'T LAST TOO LONG ON BROADWAY
I'LL CATCH A GREY HOUND BUS FOR HOME THEY ALL SAY
BUT THEY'RE DEAD WRONG I KNOW THEY ARE
'CAUSE I CAN PLAY THIS HERE GUITAR
AND I WON'T QUIT TILL I'M A STAR ON BROADWAY



And from the Cole Porter classic --


I happen to like New York, I happen to love this town
I like the city air, I like to drink of it
The more I see New York, the more I think of it
I like the sight and the sound and even the stink of it
I happen to like New York

It seems that Hugh has chosen to live in New York for both professional ( not just for the theatre side of his career but because it is convenient for most filming locations that he does) and personal reasons. He has also expressed quite often that his family is his first priority.

When Daniel Craig and the producers offered him the role in A STEADY RAIN, Hugh said he declined because it was originally meant to be staged in London. He only accepted when the producers agreed to the Broadway staging of the play. Theatre-performing is not 100% like filmmaking - theatre is 8-shows a week, including Saturdays and Sundays! No weekend breaks to visit one's family which may be 7 or so flying hours away. And if he can do other stuff on Broadway ( there is always a queue from Broadway producers for Hugh to do their shows -- even Tom Hanks was not the first choice considered for LUCKY GUY -- the first reading of the play was done by Hugh with Mike Nichols directing), why choose to be away from your family? Also, Hugh seems to draw on his family for support when he does theatre work ( there were a few stories when he was doing TBFO).

When he first accepted to do Les Miserables, he thought he could reprise his one-man show in London. It did not happen, because he probably did not fully realize the implications to him of the film project - physically, emotionally, and mentally-speaking! Those of us who followed that rehearsal period ( 8-9 weeks) and actual filming ( 3 1/2 months) realized that this was one of the most difficult projects for Hugh. Still, he did try to visit his family a few times even if it meant it was very physically exhausting for him. They did try to come over once - but school priorities did not give them other chances to do it again. So, it is not very easy for Hugh to meld his film and theatre careers ( he cannot even anticipate when each project will really start the long process of production, Houdini included).




I have been thinking about what draws most actors to Broadway - even those from Hollywoodland in faraway LA?



Broadway has always been and will always be the pinnacle of the theatre performing arts!


*That is where all the best talents come to show the world what they can offer -- be they creative talents ( playwrights, composers, directors, choreographers, production designers, etc), musicians, or performing talents themselves ( actors, singers, dancers, entertainers). To compete with all these talents on Broadway gives anyone who wants to be on Broadway the ultimate artistic high while also very reassuring/even very competitive to perform surrounded by the best of talents.

*This is also the mecca of theatrical producers, because they know that the best theatrical talents ( performing or creative), the most competent crews, and maybe the best musicians can be found when one is putting together a show, especially a new show. This is the place where investors sometimes have to queue to be given a chance to back a show!

*This is also the largest concentration of theatre-loving audiences, be they New Yorkers, the bridge-and-tunnel crowd, or tourists ( domestic or overseas) who support that theatre-going is part of the New York state of mind! They may also arguably represent the most critical audiences for live performances!



Unless your career is on the wane or you are simply a concert performer/entertainer ( who may have your own coterie of backup talents and support crew and equipment and can stage peformances ANYWHERE), why go elsewhere other than Broadway?


I live halfway across the world, and I may have been fortunate to have been able to see him perform in the past, either coincidentally ( like Oklahoma!) or planned ... but I know that the opportunities will not always be there - for any personal reason or such. Will I even be able to see HOUDINI, if it ever happens ( at this point, nobody knows its fate) - I am hoping but I would not be all that certain about it! At some point in time, I would have to stay put here, halfway across the world from NYC, and just read all the reviews and fan impressions and hopefully catch some video clips. But I would always be happy for him as I have always gone with the flow when Hugh makes a career decision - whether I can enjoy it fully or just watch by the sidelines. Plus there would still be some movies coming along - hopefully, we will see the next 5-10 years as the best of his film career, after his tremendous performance in Les Miserables!

I think the only initiative that we can strongly support would be to ask that an eventual DVD release of the show happens ( if ALWebber and Sondheim can support such initiatives, why not for any Hugh theatre project) -- so long as the producers are amenable.

One other thought - Hugh has been involved in the Houdini project so long. He has always said that he is interested more in new projects than revivals. Maybe what he knows of it is enough to get him involved for such a protracted period. I have also wondered if he is going to be among the producers.

Re the subject for musicals - have you heard about the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, of which Michael Riedel wrote about? It has the most unlikely theme for a musical - a biopic of the osteopath Stephen Ward who was involved in the Profumo-Keeler scandal in the UK, who eventually committed suicide. LOL - that would sound good as a dramatic play - but it is the wish of ALW that it be staged as a musical ( and he wrote the music for it - Riedel has talked about the very positive reception of the score at the Sydmonton Festival which Webber holds to premiere parts of his new works). Come to think of it - who would ever think that an almost tragic tale like Les Miserables ( where practically everyone dies at the end) or a musicalization of the film noir classic Sunset Boulevard ( about dementia or mental health and gigolos), or a megalomaniac freak ( Phantom of the Opera) or even a serious topic like religion/evangelization in faraway Africa ( Book of Mormon) could work with a musical score ?? I have long given up wondering how these things can happen. But we'll see how it will go with HOUDINI ( not supposed to be a biopic, and not focused on the magic side, but about one interesting aspect of his later life) - if Schwartz and company ever get to finish it...and if Hugh finally gets involved in the finished product.



Jo

[jo]

Lucky,

Welcome ...and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Unfortunately, musicals are very expensive to stage and will need a much longer period to break even ( unlike straight plays) - so we don't know what kind of commitment Hugh may have to make, if HOUDINI ever happens. For The Boy from Oz, breakeven was reached only a week or so before it closed. Unlike A Steady Rain which broke even after two months or so. Of course TBFO did not enjoy the "dynamic pricing" that was used for ASR and for Back on Broadway - although I expect this will be the norm for Houdini, if and when it happens. Arghhh...

Also, if he is able to shorten any involvement for less than a year - the best time is to open the show officially by end of April so it can qualify for any TONY nominations ( as was required for the past season). That has to be preceded by a likely preview period ( maybe 3 weeks or so?) and maybe a 2-month rehearsal period ( or maybe even longer because of the nature of the staging). It doesn't seem that out-of-town tryouts are likely if they ever follow this kind of a schedule. But we really cannot pin this down until we hear word of final developments. But that is how it is for stage productions, especially for stage musicals -- very long development periods - I guess not everyone can pluck a melodious tune from thin air like Andrew Lloyd Webber ( he has another show coming soon - very unusual subject for a musical - about the osteopath Stephen Ward who was involved in the Profumo-Keeler scandal in the UK and who eventually committed suicide -- nothing is ever sacred for a theme in musicals. LOL!). One thing though, I doubt that investors will be shy about getting involved in any Jackman show on Broadway

Jo

[Jamie]

Jo,

"a biopic of the osteopath Stephen Ward who was involved in the Profumo-Keeler scandal in the UK, who eventually committed suicide. LOL"

I can see where this has possibilities for both great drama and comedy with that coterie of British government clowns.

[jo]

This is what Michael Riedel wrote about it --

www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/scandal_in_song_jFjZCOKeRRWhF8Hp7RA5dN

A source says the show plays almost like a political thriller with songs.

ALW composed the music while the book and lyrics were written by Don Black ( Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love...and the lyrics to "Born Free") and Chris Hampton (who penned the lyrics and book for Phantom of the Opera and collaborated with Don Black for Aspects of Love). Those three musicals are my favorite works of ALWebber ( Aspects, Sunset, and Phantom -- in that order). So, I am quite excited - if I don't get to see it - I would definitely get the cast recording. Btw, the lead is Alex Hanson, who was widely praised for his work in A Little Night Music.

Guess who is producing - Robert Fox, who produced TBFO and Back on Broadway

If only...

Hugh did sing ALWebber's melodies once (Sunset Boulevard) and was once considered for the film version of Phantom of the Opera.

Jo

[lucky]

There are news to Houdini!!! broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=503525

Thank god it is not dropped! It seems as if the opening is Spring 2015 and that "they would go out of town" the next autum. I´m a little bit surprised about it, is it usual that a show with such a big star has a out of town try -out?

[jo]

Thanks, Lucky!

To summarize ( check out the interview at appox 16'35", if you want to go directly to the Houdini topic) --

*Stephen Schwartz is still writing the music and lyrics, David Ives is writing the book, and David Rockwell is doing the production design. They have access to how magic can be done.

*Hugh is still attached, is regularly informed on developments, and can be involved in readings when necessary.

*There will be great magic tricks - but contemporized for the 21st century, not a Las Vegas act! Exciting!

*He said a next autumn tryout - presumably 2014 - and a spring opening ( presumably 2015). This is not surprising. Schwartz's best theatre triumph, WICKED, did a West Coast tryout to help shape the show itself. I also remember that the Jack O'Brien-directed CATCH ME IF YOU CAN did a Seattle tryout. Hugh himself did a tryout for Back on Broadway first in San Francisco and then Toronto before he thought the show was ready for Broadway. I am just guessing - but I have a feeling that the tryout may also be in the West Coast as Jack O'Brien used to have links with a theatre company in San Diego as well.

It is not so much who is going to be in the show ( big actor or big star) -- it is the show itself that needs all the preparation before it makes its debut on Broadway! I am hoping that HOUDINI is going to be a grand theatre show!

Re Jack O'Brien - he is one of the most respected theatre directors, having won 3 TONYs for different kinds of shows ( musical theatre for Hairspray, a Shakespeare classic Henry IV, and the straight play Coast of Utopia). His stars have won TONYs ( Harvey Fierstein, Norbert Leo Butz ...and my sentimental spot is how he directed Michael Ball into winning his first Olivier in the London Hairspray). The show and Hugh will be in good hands. He also seems to have much respect for the material and the subject of the show -- he says that Houdini was as beautiful inside as he was a beautiful person outside - that means the show is not going to be just about Houdini the magician, but also about him as a person. Maybe this is what attracted Hugh partly to the show - that it will dwell as much on the magician's fame as well as what drove him as a person?

HOUDINI itself, as a musical, has already had a very long gestation period -- the first bookwriter was dropped, then Yazbek as the lyricist left and replaced by Slater, then Elfman himself completed the score but that did not seem to satisfy...Sorkin joined the team and according to sources was Schwartz's main reason why he came on board...now that he has left, it is Schwartz and a new book writer who are completing the process. Hopefully! But the main constants have been O'Brien, Rockwell ( who is also the lead producer) and of course Hugh Jackman!

It is going to be a longer wait - but maybe this means a much grander show than we expected. Hugh is basically a theatre person, by training. So, he must fully appreciate what it takes to get something "magical" on the road! I wish them luck!!!

Jo

[jo]

Here's more detailed info on David Ives who is doing the book.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ives

His work is both as a playwright and writing for musical theatre. Interestingly, in early 2012, there was mention that Stephen Sondheim has asked him to co-write a new musical that Sondheim is starting to write on.

Jo

[mamaleh]

David Ives wrote the very sexy VENUS IN FUR quasi-romance-fantasy as well as the very funny IS HE DEAD?, which starred Norbert Leo Butz (in a dress) several seasons ago. I also recently caught his collection of six short plays, ALL IN THE TIMING, which were both clever and funny. So I'm very hopeful!

And Jo, like you, my first thought was San Diego, given that O'Brien used to be artistic director at the Old Globe and has maintained ties. But of course other factors are theater availability, what's best for Hugh and his schedule, etc.

Now we just have to wait and see what the next step is--location, location, location. But my money (probably literally) is on San Diego.

Ellen

[jo]

Remember this update from NYPost's Cindy Adams? Lol - we did not believe it much

THE 2015 spring will bring the show “Houdini.” Award-winning Jack O’Brien directs, award-winning Rockwell, who loves magic, designs. Award-winning Stephen Schwartz does the score.

O’Brien: “It’s not a period piece. Based on the magician’s life, it’s created around the main character.” How about the tricks? “Not difficult. Guys in Vegas perform those. We know how to do them all because he’s explained them all.

“We’ve researched Houdini’s extraordinary life. One thing he wanted was to get in touch with his mother, and this subject fascinates people. After World War I, many wanted to get in touch with those they lost. Conan Doyle was a spiritualist. Coolidge was a spiritualist.”

Jo

[jo]

Between fall in 2013 ( after he completes Days of Future Past and has had a personal break... and fall in 2014, before he does any Houdini tryout) - I hope Hugh can get into another memorable film project or two. If Prisoners goes well artistically-speaking - this is the time to continue his trajectory towards memorable film roles, which started in a big way with Les Miserables. His XMEN movies are a significant part of his film career but I think Hugh is now beginning to be recognized for his strong dramatic skills, way beyond his reputation for being a very credible actor for action movies. In a way, Real Steel surprised many because it focused on the father-son relationship more than what was expected.

I wonder how long the screenplay for SIX YEARS and pre-production will take -- but can they make it even more memorable for the dramatic highlights rather than the movie ending up as another pure action-thriller?

I wonder what other projects he has been looking at -- with Hugh, we get many surprise announcements about his projects

Jo