New Frank Wildhorn Musical Based on Classic Tale to Premiere at Flat Rock Playhouse in 2014
By: Robert Diamond Sep. 22, 2013
Despite getting critical drubbings and short runs for his last outings, including Bonnie & Clyde, Wonderland and the revival of Jekyll & Hyde, Frank Wildhorn is reportedly hard at work on his next project, which will make its premiere at the 250-seat Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina.
First spotted on our message board, and according to the Blue Ridge Times News, part of the theatres' 2014 season will be A Christmas Carol - November 20 - December 21, by: Charles Dickens; Music by: Frank Wildhorn; Lyrics by: Jack Murphy; Book by: Jack Murphy and Vincent Marini.
The paper writes "From the team that brought you Flat Rock's new hit musical Zelda, comes a brand new, modern interpretation of A Christmas Carol that takes the famous Dickens story and infuses it with laughter, love and brand new score that celebrates the holiday season."
The premiere of Wildhorn's A Christmas Carol has yet to be officially confirmed.
Multi-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, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War. Also for Broadway: Dracula, Victor/Victoria, Bonnie & Clyde, and Wondreland. Among the artists who have recorded and performed Wildhorn's works: Whitney Houston (no. 1 international hit "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"), Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Moody Blues, Johnny Mathis, Linda Eder, Freddie Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Stacy Lattisaw, Molly Hatchet, Blues Traveler, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Jeffrey Osborne, BeBe Winans, Stanley Turrentine, Amy Grant, Anthony Warlow, to name a few.
In collaboration with Frank Wildhorn and Gregory Boyd, Murphy wrote the lyrics for The Civil War and for Wonderland (along with the book), garnering him a Tony nomination for Best Score. He returned to Broadway with two songs penned for the hit show, Swing. Over a 20-year collaboration with composer Frank Wildhorn, Wildhorn and Murphy have written several successful shows all over the world: Rudolf, in Budapest, Tokyo and Vienna; Carmen in Prague; The Count of Monte Cristo in Switzerland and Korea. Murphy also wrote and directed Gods of Autumn for the Progress Energy Theater in Raleigh, N.C.
Vincent Marini is Producing Artistic Director of Flat Rock Playhouse, The State Theatre of North Carolina. Writer/Director: It Happened One Christmas; My Own Song; Music of The Night My Favorite Things, Our Show of Shows. Director: The Buddy Holly Story, For The Glory; A Few Good Men. Vincent has also worked with the staff and board to develop the popular "Music on The Rock Series" with more than seventy nights of original musical performances and the recently opened, 250-seat Playhouse on Main Street, a new performance venue that will host close to 40-weeks of innovative programming by 2013.
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