‘Wicked’ composer hopes to debut musical ‘Houdini’ in Chicago
CHICAGO — Acclaimed Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz says he’s hard at work on a full draft of his next endeavor, the musical “Houdini” that has actor Hugh Jackman playing the legendary illusionist.
Schwartz says he hopes the show will debut in Chicago before it goes to Broadway during the 2013-2014 season. He says Chicago theater audiences like seeing new works and are not put off by seeing a piece “that is clearly a work in progress.”
Schwartz, who was recently in town for the Dramatist Guild of America’s conference, says Chicago is the “best theater town in America” because it has “one great theater after another doing very, very interesting work.”
As for “Houdini,” Schwartz says: “I’m specifically writing for Hugh in terms of what I think will sound good in his voice and what sorts of things will really help him to do the things that he does.”
The Academy Award- and Grammy Award-winner — famous for “Wicked,” “Godspell” and “Pippin” — said a reading of the new full show is scheduled for December and he’s been “writing away on it” with a collaborator. So far, he said, they have a full first act of “Houdini.”
“As soon as we finished it, of course, we immediately said, ‘We have to rewrite this entire thing,’” Schwartz said. “But nevertheless we’re moving on to try to get a complete draft of the show.”
So far, the fun, he said, has been writing music and lyrics with Jackman in mind. Schwartz said he’s considering “Where does he want to stretch himself? Where does he want to do something that he feels he has and we feel he has that he hasn’t really shown before?”
In April, admirers of the composer packed Carnegie Hall in New York for a tribute marking both Schwartz’s 65th birthday and the 10th anniversary of “Wicked,” which is still a tough ticket. But that show’s success doesn’t amount to pressure, he said.
“It sort of makes you feel, ‘I have this big hit running, well if this doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out,’” Schwartz said.
Schwartz’s work on “Houdini” could serve to counteract what he calls a recent “artistic slump” in commercial musical theater with shows that he says are safe and formulaic.
“I’ve found the last couple of Broadway seasons pretty disappointing from the point of view of musicals,” Schwartz said. “Though from the point of view of plays it’s been pretty exciting.”
Besides “Houdini,” Schwartz has been focusing on his role as president of the dramatist guild. He cited censorship at schools and theaters as one threat that is proving stifling and discouraging for playwrights. He said his own 1971 work, “Godspell,” has become more controversial recently. The guild has a legal-defense fund that can help writers with censorship, copyright and other issues, he said.
“Really that’s what theaters should be doing, is causing audiences and people to think about things and look at things in a different way,” Schwartz said. “Not flag-waving for whatever the prevailing point of view is at that point.”