musical revue of wildhorn music
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Info on Frank WildhornTRANSCRIPT
Musical Revue of Wildhorn Music
BiographyMulti-Grammy and Tony Award nominated composer/producer Frank Wildhorn's works span the worlds of popular, theatrical, and classical music.
In 1999, Wildhorn became the first American composer in 22 years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde (written with Leslie Bricusse), which received four Tony nominations; The Scarlet Pimpernel (written with Nan Knighton), which received three Tony nominations; and The Civil War (written with Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd), which received two Tony nominations. He also wrote additional songs for Broadway's Victor/Victoria (written with Leslie Bricusse) and was represented on Broadway by Dracula: The Musical (written with Don Black and Christopher Hampton) and Wonderland (written with Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd). Wildhorn was also a producer and co-creator for Harlem Song, the first open-ended theatrical run at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City.
Jekyll & Hyde holds the distinction of being the first new American musical to have two internationally released concept recordings of the score: Highlights From Jekyll & Hyde and Jekyll & Hyde: The Complete Work. Songs from the show such as " Someone Like You," " A New Life" and " This Is the Moment" have been performed worldwide and have been featured at the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup international soccer championships, Miss America Pageants, the 1996 Democratic National Convention and the inauguration of President Clinton (sung by Jennifer Holliday). The Broadway cast recording was released in July of 1997 and received a Grammy nomination that year. The Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde is the longest running show in the history of the Plymouth Theater. The show has seen three major tours and over 500 regional productions in the United States and Canada. More than 100 international productions also have been seen in such countries as Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdon, Japan, and Australia. There have been 32 international recordings of Jekyll & Hyde in 28 different languages. A new recording entitled Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection was released in 2006 on the GlobalVision Records label.
The Scarlet Pimpernel played at both the Minskoff Theatre and the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway. The show has been seen on two tours of the United States and Canada, and in
such countries as Finland, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Malta. The show's score yielded a Top 40 Adult Contemporary hit with the song " You Are My Home," a duet recorded by Peabo Bryson and Linda Eder. The Broadway cast recording was released in February of 1998, and a new album entitled The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! was released in November 1999. A German-language recording was released in 2003. The Scarlet Pimpernel also has the distinction of winning Best Musical in Japan in 2007, performed by the famed Takarazuka Revue.
Wildhorn has produced two star-studded concept albums of The Civil War: The Nashville Sessionsand The Complete Work (a two-disc album). These feature such artists as Hootie & The Blowfish, Blues Traveler, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, Dr. John, and Patti LaBelle, among others. The show had its world premiere in 1998 at the Alley Theatre in Houston, TX, and played its pre-Broadway engagement at the Shubert Theatre in New Have, CT. Following its Broadway production in 1999, the show was seen on a two-year national tour that featured John Schneider, Larry Gatlin and BeBe Winans. Under the title For the Glory, the show had a run at the newly restored Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg, PA in 2006. In 2008, The Civil War was performed at the National Theatre in Washington DC for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, and featured a star-studded cast that included Trisha Yearwood, Clay Aiken, BeBe Winans, Larry Gaitlin, Hal Holbrook, Avery Brooks, Dr. Maya Angelou, and an ensemble of Broadway’s best.
International projects include: Carmen (written with Jack Murphy and Norman Allen) in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008 (cast recording on EMI Czech Republic); The Count of Monte Cristo (written with Jack Murphy) in St. Gallen, Switzerland in 2009 (cast recording on MWB/HitSquad) and Seoul, South Korea in 2010 (cast recording from EMK Musical Company);Never Say Goodbye (written with Shuichiro Koike), performed by Takarazuka Revue in Takarazuka and Tokyo, Japan in 2006 (Wildhorn was the first non-Japanese artist to be commissioned to write an original musical for the company), the success of which resulted in their follow up with The Scarlet Pimpernel in 2010 (cast recordings for both productions from Takarazuka Revue Co.); Rudolf: The Last Kiss (written with Jack Murphy and Nan Knighton) in Budapest, Hungary in 2006, Tokyo, Japan in 2008, and Vienna, Austria in 2009 (cast recording on MWB/HitSquad); Cyrano de Bergerac (written with Leslie Bricusse) in Tokyo, Japan in 2009; Dracula in St. Gallen, Switzerland in 2005 and Graz, Austria in 2007 (cast recording on MWB/HitSquad); Mitsuko (written with Jack Murphy and Shuichiro Koike) as a musical concert in Vienna in 2005, and performed in a combined concert with Frank Wildhorn & Friends in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan in 2011; Tears of Heaven (written with Robin Lerner and Phoebe Hwang) opens in Seoul, South Korea in 2011 and has yielded a concept recording in English; Jekyll & Hyde everywhere!
U.S. projects include: Bonnie & Clyde (written with Don Black and Ivan Menchell) played at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA in November 2009, had a second production at the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL in November 2010, and opens on Broadway in Fall 2011; Zelda (written with Jack Murphy), based on the lives of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, had its world premiere at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in Marlton, NJ in 2005; Camille Claudel(written with Nan Knighton) played at Goodspeed Opera's Norma Terris Theatre in 2003 and yielded the song " Gold," heard at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Upcoming projects include: Havana, Casanova, Excalibur, Mata Hari, Ali, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
In 1998, Wildhorn wrote all original music and served as music director for the Goodwill Games in New York City. In 2005, Wildhorn was commissioned by NYC & Co. (New York City's tourism board) to write a new theme song for the city, "New York: The Time of Your Life”.
He has written original material for Linda Eder's concerts at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway, her two Carnegie Hall solo concerts and her recent holiday concert at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. He also co-produced and wrote original material for Eder's albums: Linda Eder, And So Much More, It's Time, It's No Secret Anymore, Christmas Stays the Same, Gold, Broadway My Way and Storybook. He has also produced Eder's Christmas concert special for the Bravo television network, as well as Broadway's Best on Bravo, for which he also served as creative director.
Artists who have recorded and performed his music include Whitney Houston (with the international number one hit " Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" ), Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Freddie Jackson, Deana Carter, Tracy Lawrence, John Berry, Trisha Yearwood, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Bryan White, Amy Grant, Ben Vereen, Regina Belle, The Moody Blues, Jeffrey Osborne, Stacy Lattisaw, Dennis DeYoung, Molly Hatchet, Brenda Russell, John Raitt, Anthony Warlow, Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Mathis, and Colm Wilkinson, to name a few.
Wildhorn is an associate artist in musical theatre with an endowed chair at the Alley Theatre in Houston, TX, where he launched Jekyll & Hyde (1990), Svengali (1991), and The Civil War (1998). He also wrote music for Arthur Kopit's play The Road to Nirvana and scored the play Cyrano de Bergerac.
Wildhorn is the recipient of the Charles Dickens Award from USC, where there is also a scholarship under his name. He was honored by USC in 2010 with the prestigious Tommy Award.
As a record executive, Wildhorn created and ran Atlantic Theatre, a division of Atlantic Records/Time Warner Music from 1994 to 2004. He currently has his own label deal (Soul Bear Records) with Sony Masterworks (a division of Sony Music). The first release of this new venture was the concept recording of the Broadway musical Wonderland. He also has an international recording partnership, MWB (Music Without Borders), with his partner Martin Bohm's company MG-Sound/HitSquad Records in Vienna. Recent releases from that partnership include The Count of Monte Cristo (the first concept recording in English of a German production and a cast recording in German), Dracula (cast recording), Rudolf(cast recording, DVD, and double-CD live recording), and Wonderland (concept recording).
Father to Justin Samuel and Jake Ryan.
Projects
Bonnie & Clyde
Bonnie & Clyde is a new musical with lyrics by Don Black and a book by Ivan Menchell. The
show tells the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, ill-fated lovers and outlaws whose
tale has captured the imagination ever since it took place during the Great Depression. The
world premiere took place at La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California, USA in November and
December 2009. Learn more in the Bonnie & Clyde section .
Camille Claudel
Frank has written a musical with Nan Knighton about the life of French sculptress Camille
Claudel. The world-premiere production took place at Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris
Theater in Chester, Connecticut, USA, 14 August - 7 September 2003. Learn more in
the Camille Claudel page .
Carmen
Frank has developed a modern adaptation of Carmen with lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book
by Norman Allen. The show premiered on 2 and 3 October 2008 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Learn more on the Carmen page .
The Civil War
The Civil War is a moving song cycle, based on the turbulent and tragic period in United
States history, written in collaboration with Gregory Boyd and Jack Murphy. The show
premiered in Houston, Texas, USA in 1998, was presented at the St. James Theatre on
Broadway in 1999 and then toured nationally. Learn more in the Civil War section .
The Count Of Monte Cristo
Frank and Jack Murphy have written a musical version of The Count of Monte Cristo by
Alexandre Dumas, père. The show had its world premiere on 14 March 2009 at Theatre St.
Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Learn more on the Count of Monte Cristo page
Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano is Frank's next collaboration with Leslie Bricusse (Jekyll & Hyde), based on the classic
work by Edmond Rostand. The show premiered on 5 May 2009 at the Nissay Theatre in
Tokyo, Japan. Learn more on the Cryano de Bergerac page.
Dracula, The Musical
Dracula is a gothic musical, based on the novel by Bram Stoker. The show was developed
with Des McAnuff, Christopher Hampton and Don Black. It played on Broadway at the Belasco
Theatre, from 30 July 2004 through 2 January 2005. The show has also played in St. Gallen,
Switzerland and Graz, Austria. Learn more in theDracula page
Havana
Havana is a project Frank has been developing with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Nilo Cruz
(book) and Jack Murphy (lyrics). The show is currently undergoing changes, so check back
soon for updates or read more in the Upcoming Projects section
Jekyll & Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde is a gothic musical based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, with book
and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The show had its world premiere in Houston, Texas, USA in
1990, and played at the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway from 1997 into 2001. The show has
played numerous productions and tours, throughout the U.S. and abroad. Learn more in
the Jekyll & Hyde section
Marry Shelly's Frankenstien
Frank is currently developing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with Gregory Boyd and Jack
Murphy. The show is expected to be a romantic mystery, and will largely examine the
inspiration and creative process that led to Mary Shelley's famous novel. Learn more on
the Upcoming Projects page.
Mitsuko
Frank is writing a new musical with Shuichiro Koike (book and director) and Jack Murphy
(lyrics), titled Mitsuko. The show focuses on Mitsuko Aoyama (1874-1941), who was the first
Japanese woman to marry a westerner. Material from the show was premiered at the
"Mitsuko Musical Concert" in Vienna on Friday, 9 December 2005. Learn more on the Mitsuko
page.
Never Say Goodbye
Frank wrote the music for a new production by Takarazuka Revue, the famous all-female
Japanese theatre company. The show, titled Never Say Goodbye (The Footsteps of Lovers), is
set during the Spanish Civil War and was premiered by the Takarazuka Cosmos (Sora) Troupe
in 2006. The script is by Shuichiro Koike, who also directed. Learn more on the Never Say
Goodbye page
Rudolf
Frank wrote Rudolf with Jack Murphy (book and lyrics), Nan Knighton (additional lyrics) and
Phoebe Hwang (book). The show was previously referred to under the working title of Vienna,
and now bears the subtitlesThe Last Kiss or Affaire Mayerling (The Mayerling Affair). It tells
the tragic story of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera, who were found dead in a
hunting lodge in Mayerling, near Vienna. Learn more on the Rudolf page .
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling adventure based on the novels by Baroness Orczy,
with book and lyrics by Nan Knighton. The show had three incarnations on Broadway - at the
Minskoff and Neil Simon Theatres - beginning in 1997. It has continued to delight audiences
around the world since then. Learn more in the Scarlet Pimpernel section .
Svengali
Svengali is a gothic musical, based on the novel Trilby by George du Maurier, with book and
lyrics by Gregory Boyd. The show premiered in 1991 at the Alley Theater in Houston, Texas,
USA and then played at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, USA. Learn more on
the Svengali page .
Tears From Heaven
Tears From Heaven is a new musical with a book by Phoebe Hwang and lyrics by Robin
Lerner. The show is being produced by Creative Production and Seol & Company, and is
expected to debut in Seoul in 2010. To learn more, check out the Upcoming Projects section.
Victor/Victoria
Victor/Victoria is a lively comedy, adapted for the stage from the 1982 film of the same
name. The show has music by Henry Mancini, a book by Blake Edwards, and lyrics by Leslie
Bricusse. Frank wrote additional material for the Broadway opening in 1995. Learn more in
the Victor/Victoria section .
Waiting For The Moon
Frank is developing Waiting For The Moon (also referred to as Scott & Zelda, or simply Zelda)
with Jack Murphy (book and lyrics). The show explores the tragic but romantic lives of F. Scott
and Zelda Fitzgerald. It had its world premiere at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center
in Marlton, New Jersey, USA in July 2005. Learn more on the Waiting For The Moon page .
Wonderland
Frank is working with Jack Murphy (book and lyrics) and Gregory Boyd (book and direction)
on Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventures, a contemporary spin on Lewis Carroll's tale
of Alice in Wonderland. The show had its premiere run at the Straz Center for the Performing
Arts in Tampa, Florida, USA from November 2009 into January 2010, followed by a production
at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, USA in January and February 2010. Learn more on
the Wonderland page .
Other Credits
In addition to composing, Frank has made other contributions to various projects. He has
served as a producer and artistic director for many albums and other ventures, he is a
lyricist, and he has made appearances as a performer. The highlights of these credits include
the following:
Frank was one of the executive producers, and also the artistic director, for a concert
recorded for television titled "Broadway's Best on Bravo." The event featured top stars from
today's pop charts, stage and screen, performing some of the greatest theater songs ever
written. It originally aired on Bravo in March of 2002, and is repeated on that network from
time to time.
Frank was one of the co-producers for Harlem Song, a historical revue, which premiered at
the world-famous Apollo Theater in 2002. The show was written and directed by George C.
Wolfe, drawing on jazz standards, rap and R&B hits that bring the music and history of
Harlem to life.
Frank has also taken the stage several times, accompanying various singers.