The Musicals of Frank Wildhorn 2.0

This, to the best of my knowledge, is all of the musicals composed by Frank Wildhorn: "Jekyll & Hyde" with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was first produced at the Alley Theatre in Houston, May 1990. The Broadway production opened at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (formerly the Plymouth) in April 1997. Check out "The Complete Work" album with Linda Eder and Australia's Anthony Warlow.

This is followed by "Svengali" with lyrics by John Bettis, Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn, book by Gregory Boyd based on "Trilby" by George du Maurier. It was produced at the Alley Theatre in April 1991 and the Asolo Theatre in Florida the same year. No recording has been made, but a few of the demos are on Linda Eder's 2003 compilation "Storybook". Listen to "Vole Mon Ange", Trilby's aria in the second act.

Frank completed the score for the Broadway production of "Victor/Victoria" with music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and book by Blake Edwards, based on the films from 1982 and 1933. It opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1995. I love the song Julie Andrews sings called "Living in the Shadows".

Following the Broadway arrival of "Jekyll & Hyde" is "The Scarlet Pimpernel" with book and lyrics by Nan Knighton based on the books from Baroness Orczy. It opened at the Minskoff Theatre in November 1997 and later the Neil Simon Theatre, September 1999. The Original Broadway Cast Recording is a great listen. Both "Jekyll" and "Pimpernel" have become international successes.

"The Civil War" with book and lyrics by Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd and Jack Murphy followed at the Alley Theatre, September 1998, arriving on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in April 1999. With "Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel", Frank became the first American composer in 22 years to have three musicals running simultaneously on Broadway, but "The Civil War" shuttered not long after. Check out "The Complete Work" album or "The Nashville Sessions".

Several songs from the unproduced musical "Havana" featuring lyrics by Jack Murphy were debuted on Linda Eder's 1999 album "It's No Secret Anymore". I love the title song "Havana". A version with book by Nilo Cruz was announced for the Pasadena Playhouse in 2010, but never went ahead.

"Dracula" with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, conceived by Don Black, Christopher Hampton, Frank Wildhorn and Des McAnuff and based on the novel from Bram Stoker, first opened at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, October 2001. A Broadway production followed at the Belasco Theatre in August 2004, but closed after a few months. It has a great life in Europe and Asia, recently celebrating its tenth anniversary in South Korea.

Frank and Nan Knighton collaborated again on "Camille Claudel" based on the life of the sculptress. Linda Eder played the title role in the production by Goodspeed Musicals at the Norma Terris Theater in Connecticut, August 2003. This contains the song "Gold" which Linda recorded and was played during the 2002 Winter Olympics. A second production "Gold: Rodin and Camille" opened at Theatre Creation, Tokyo in 2011. A revised version for the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia never got off the ground, due to the Covid crisis. It would have played from May to August 2020. Check out the demos on Nan's website. I wish this show would happen.

Having collaborated on "The Civil War" and "Havana", Frank and Jack Murphy wrote "Scott & Zelda" based on the lives of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald with story by Jack and Vincent Marini. Marini helmed the first production at Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center, New Jersey in July 2005 under the title "Waiting for the Moon". The title became "Zelda" for a second mounting at the Flat Rock Playhouse, North Carolina in October 2012, also directed by Marini. A third production with the title "Scott & Zelda" opened in Tokyo, October 2015. The title became "Zelda" again for a 2016 workshop production at Marymount Manhattan College, while a concert version called "Scott & Zelda" was performed at 54 Below, New York a few months later. Lauren Kennedy from the original cast recorded the song "Easy" on her 2007 album "Here & Now".

Frank and Jack Murphy collaborated with Shuichiro Koike in 2005 on the musical "Mitsuko" based on the life of Mitsuko Aoyama, the first Japanese woman to marry a Westerner. Concert productions were mounted in Vienna and Japan before a fully staged version in Tokyo and Osaka, 2011. The Japanese cast recording was released in 2011.

In 2006, Frank became the first American composer to score the Takarazuka Revue in Japan with its March 2006 production of "Never Say Goodbye" written and directed by Shuichiro Koike. Frank met his future wife Yoka Wao when she played the role of Georges Malraux. The musical was mounted again by the Takarazuka Revue in 2022. Both versions have been recorded for CD and DVD/Blu-Ray.

The same year, Frank composed the score for "Rudolf" with lyrics by Jack Murphy, additional lyrics by Nan Knighton, book by Jack Murphy and Phoebe Hwang, conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden and based on "A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889" by Frederic Morton. "Rudolf" was first mounted in a co-production by the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, the Budapest Operetta Theater and the Szeged Open-Air Festival at the Operett Színház in Budapest, May 2006. Followed by an open air staging in Szeged in July, and a production mounted in Tokyo 2008, "Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling" opened at the Raimund Theater, Vienna in February 2009. This version received two recordings, highlights and a complete, as well as a DVD/Blu-Ray. "Rudolf" continues to be produced in Asia and Europe. Note the song "Only Love" which was deleted from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" but it was first written for "Rudolf", I believe.

Frank, Jack Murphy and Norman Allen collaborated on a new version of Prosper Mérimée's "Carmen", the source material of the classic opera of the same name. Starring Lucie Bílá, "Carmen" was a phenomenal success at the Karlín Musical Theater, Prague where it opened October 2008. A highlights cast recording was issued along with a DVD/Blu-Ray. Further productions followed in Asia and Europe, with an April 2024 opening at the Operett Színház in Budapest. A German highlights album was issued in 2019.

Frank and Leslie Bricusse worked on their second full-length musical together, "Cyrano de Bergerac" from the play by Edmond Rostand. Frank had scored a production of the play at the Alley Theatre in 1993 which even received a recording. The musical version had been announced for a production in London 2006, but ultimately appeared at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, May 2009 with Takeshi Kaga in the title role. It continues to be produced in Asia, but no cast recording.

Also in 2009, Frank and Jack Murphy wrote "The Count of Monte Cristo" based on the novel from Alexandre Dumas. It premiered at the Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland in March 2009 and was a resounding success. Further productions have followed in Europe and Asia, and several regional productions in the U.S. The score has been recorded several times, with the original production even receiving a recording in English. That is the one I have, and it's a thrilling listen.

Frank and Don Black joined forces with librettist Ivan Menchell on their 2009 musical "Bonnie & Clyde" based on the lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The first regional productions were somewhat of a reunion for Frank, first with La Jolla Playhouse November 2009, where his "Dracula" had been staged in 2001, and then at the Asolo Theater November 2010, which had been home to "Svengali". A brief appearance on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, December 2011 led to the release of the original cast album on Broadway Records and many international productions. A concert version was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London's West End in January 2022, with a full mounting at the Arts Theatre that April. This was followed by a 2023/24 tour of the UK and Ireland. A London cast album was released in 2023 with an upcoming film release of the West End concert. "Bonnie & Clyde" continues to be performed all around the world.

In 2009, Frank, Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd reunited on "Wonderland", a modern take of the classic stories from Lewis Carroll. It opened at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Center, Tampa Bay in November 2009, accompanied by the 2009 concept recording, with a second production at Houston's Alley Theatre January 2010. A revised version opened at the Straz Center in January 2011, before the Broadway production at the Marquis Theatre from April 2011. Although the production was not a success there, a Broadway cast album was released on Sony Masterworks. After a 2012 production in Japan and a tour of the UK in 2017, "Wonderland" opened at the Tuacahn Center of the Arts, Utah in May 2022 with a revised book by Jennifer Paulson-Lee and Gabriel Barre. A youth version followed the same year in Maryland. I've always enjoyed the score's eclecticism and the Mad Hatter's second act song "I Will Prevail" is a thrilling moment.

Frank composed "Tears of Heaven" with lyrics by Robin Lerner and book by Phoebe Hwang, opening at the National Theater in Seoul, February 2011. An English language recording was issued in both South Korea and the U.S., but so far there have been no other productions forthcoming. Linda Eder appeared on the 2011 recording, with three of the songs also showing up on her 2011 album "Now".

In 2014, Frank would compose "Excalibur" at the Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland with lyrics by Robin Lerner and book by Ivan Menchell, under the title "Artus Excalibur". The original cast album was released the same year and was a best seller, with more productions being mounted throughout Europe and Asia. Lancelot's song "Never to Love" gives me chills, and I can remember begging Frank on his social media page to play it during his lockdown sessions. Indeed, I got very lucky.

Frank turned a new corner in 2015 with the stage musical version of the mega manga "Death Note", featuring lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Ivan Menchell. Opening at the Nissay Theatre, Tokyo in April 2015, yielding the original Japanese cast recording, "Death Note" was a tremendous success, followed by productions in Seoul, Taiwan, Russia and Brazil. The English version was performed in concert at the London Palladium in August 2023, with a cast recording announced the same year.

Frank, Jack and Ivan followed "Death Note" with "Mata Hari" based on the life of the dancer Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod. "Mata Hari" premiered at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in Seoul, March 2016, where it was a resounding box office success. I remember this musical being launched under the title "Mata Hari at the Moulin Rouge", but I believe this was changed as the show was revised for its second production in Korea 2017. The score has yet to receive a full recording, but a six track EP was issued from the original run. Further productions have followed in Japan and South Korea.

In 2017, Frank composed "A Passage through the Light: The Revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre" (I believe that's the title) with book and lyrics by Ikuta Hirokazu for the Takarazuka Revue. This production was captured on CD and DVD. One thing that intrigues me here is the connection to "The Scarlet Pimpernel" which is set around the same time period, and references Robespierre.

With "Les Misérables" being adapted into one of the most successful musicals of all time, and "Notre Dame de Paris" produced in several versions onstage, this time Victor Hugo's "The Man Who Laughs" would be adapted into a musical, and with Frank writing the score. Jack Murphy returns as lyricist with Robert Johansson providing libretto. Opening at the Opera Theater, Seoul Arts Center and Blue Square Interpark Hall, Seoul, July 2018, further productions have followed throughout Asia. Two cast recordings have been released, an EP from the original production and a more complete Japanese album.

In 2021, Frank would compose another mega Manga with the musical version of "Fist of the North Star" featuring book and lyrics by Ako Takahashi. First performed at the Nissay Theatre, Japan in December 2021, a cast recording was issued the following year.

2021 would also give rise to Frank's new collaboration with songwriters Carly Robyn Green and Tracy Miller, including the musical version of Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human", opening at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, December 2021. It was Frank's first musical opening in China, another cornerstone of his successful international career. The musical version of "No Longer Human" features book by Ya Wen and Mingzhu Zhang. The Chinese cast recording was issued in 2023.

2022 would see a concert performance at 54 Below of Frank's new musical "Reunion" with book and lyrics by Rinne B. Groff and Peter Asher acting as a musical consultant. A workshop took place in 2022 with Carmen Cusack in the cast. A production has yet to be announced, so this is forthcoming.

A musical version of "Your Lie in April" (another mega Manga) with lyrics by Carly Robyn Green, Tracy Miller and Frank Wildhorn and book by Riko Sakaguchi followed at Tokyo's Nissay Theatre, May 2022. Following the cast album and a Japanese tour, a concert version with English book by Rinne B. Groff opened in April 2024 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. A fully staged version has been announced for the Harold Pinter Theatre, London, running from June to September 2024. The Korean Premiere is June 2024.

Frank composed the score for "Peter the Great" with lyrics, I believe, by Jack Murphy and book by Konstantin Rubinsky, performed at the Saint Petersburg Theatre of Musical Comedy in Russia, December 2022.

"Kane and Abel" with lyrics by Nathan Tysen and book and direction by Daniel Goldstein, based on Jeffrey Archer novel "Cain and Abel", will be performed at the Tokyo Theatre Orb and Shin Kabukiza, Japan in January and February 2025.

Frank is also composing "Einstein: A Matter of Time" with lyrics by Frank Ramond and book and direction by Gil Mehmert, his third score for the Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland, opening March 2025.

Back to Miller and Green, their official website yields us several more titles in development: "Mac x Beth", "Firenze 1504: Leonardo vs. Michelangelo", "Houdini: A Musical Escape" and "Lost Boy" for Seoul, "Kung Fu Masters: Bruce Lee and Ip Man" for Shanghai, "Princess Knight" for Tokyo, and "Luna" which appears to be aiming for America. "Luna" is quite intriguing to me. The credits list Nilo Cruz as book writer which raises the question whether this might actually be "Havana" under a new title. Time will tell, of course.

The old Indie Theatrical website also mentioned Frank composing a project based on Arthur Schnitzler play "La Ronde". According to an interview on Broadway World, this will apparently have lyrics by Clint Holmes.

There is also "The Song of Bernadette" with lyrics by Robin Lerner and book by Rinne B. Groff which had a workshop in September 2022. A single "I Have a Voice" was released by Broadway Kids against Bullying in 2016 available on Broadway Records.

"Casanova" with lyrics by Don Black is also in development with the United Stages of Vienna.

In addition to all of this, Frank has composed his "Danube Symphony" released on CD in 2021, and composed many songs for recording artists all over the world, including his hit albums with Linda Eder. Plus there is his #1 song for Whitney Houston, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" Yes, that song was composed by Frank.

We can also look forward to a new production of "Jekyll & Hyde" with a revised book by Alexander Dinelaris, who is also writing a screenplay.

Wow. I think I've (roughly) been able to keep track of all of that, but there will probably be a thousand oversights. Thanks Uncle Wiki, Frank Wildhorn website, Miller and Green site, Indie Theatrical site for any information I didn't have! And thank you for reading.

Ryan.