New Frank Wildhorn Musical Premieres in Japan

The Japanese premiere of RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS, a musical composed by Frank Wildhorn, written by Jack Murphy, directed by Amon Miyamoto and produced by Toho. Co., Ltd. opened to an enthusiastic audience at the prestigious Imperial Theatre on Wednesday, May 6 in Tokyo. The full-house of nearly 2,000 patrons showered the cast members with applause at the raucous curtain call and continued expressing their fervent appreciation as acclaimed director Mr. Miyamoto brought on stage Mr. Wildhorn and Mr. Murphy and Frederic Morton, author of A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889, the novel and 1980 National Book Award Finalist on
which the musical is based. Mr. Morton, Mr. Wildhorn, and Mr. Murphy had flown from New York to celebrate this trans-Pacific collaboration. Mr. Wildhorn said, "I knew Amon Miyamoto would do a terrific job. This show will have a long life in Japan." Mr. Murphy said, "Every scene is so incredibly beautiful. I strongly feel that all the Japanese creative team and cast are first-class."

Set in fin de siècle Vienna during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS tells the story of the events leading to the Mayerling Incident, the mysterious death of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress Baroness Marie Vetsera at the royal hunting lodge in Mayerling, a village outside Vienna, in 1889. The musical describes the escalating personal and political conflict between Crown Prince Rudolf and Emperor Franz Joseph, a stern father and a cautious ruler. Rudolf sees the widening chasm between the ruling aristocracy and the emerging bourgeoisie and working classes and believes the monarchy is in need of reform if the nation is to survive. It is during this time and in light of his crumbling marriage to Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, that Rudolf sees and falls in love with the beautiful 17-year old courtier Baroness Marie Vetsera. Reactionary forces within monarchy represented by Prime Minister Taafe use the affair as a cudgel with which to thwart Rudolf's political aspirations. The story plays out in an intoxicating atmosphere of tragic romance and political intrigue.

The book that inspired RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS details that tumultuous era, which also produced revolutionary artists, composers, writers and theorists like Freud, Schnitzler, Mahler, Strauss, and Klimt. The subject has proven to be endlessly fascinating to generations since as A Nervous Splendor in its 27th edition in the United States. The drama of the Mayerling Incident has also been made into many films, television productions and other art forms including Mayerling (1968), a film directed by Terence Young, starring Omar Sharif, Catherine Denueve, and Ava Gardner; Kenneth MacMillan's ballet Mayerling (1978) and TV film Crown Prince Rudolf directed by Robert Dornhelm (2006).

Frank Wildhorn, the composer of RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS, conceived the idea of the musical after reading Mr. Morton's book in college. Mr. Wildhorn has returned to that inspired idea after enjoying many successful years as a renowned composer in the United States and Europe. In 1999, he notably became the first American composer in twenty-two years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde, Scarlet Pimpernel, and The Civil War, which altogether garnered eight Tony nominations. Mr. Wildhorn also wrote additional songs for Broadway's Victor/Victoria and was a producer and co-creator of Harlem Song at the legendary Apollo Theater. Over thirty-five international Jekyll & Hyde productions have been presented in Europe and in Asia including Toho Co. Ltd.'s production that premiered in 2001. Mr. Wildhorn's frequent collaborator, Tony-nominated Jack Murphy, whose credits on Broadway include The Civil War and Swing, wrote the book and lyrics for the musical. Nan Knighton (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Saturday Night Fever) wrote additional lyrics for RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS.

The Japanese cast and creative team of RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS also feature familiar names on Broadway. Amon Miyamoto made his Broadway debut as director of the Sondheim-Weidman musical Pacific Overtures in 2004, which earned four Tony nominations, including one for set designer Rumi Matsui. Matsui joins Miyamoto again for this production and has designed another outstanding set. Award-winning Yoshio Inoue (Elisabeth, Miss Saigon, The Wedding Singer) plays Rudolf and Rena Sasamoto (The Woman in White) plays Marie Vetsera. The young actors are supported by seasoned veterans such as Haruhiko Jo, playing Emperor Franz Joseph, who made a memorable appearance starring in Yukio Ninagawa's production of Modern Noh Plays at the Lincoln Center Festival in 2005.

RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS had its world premiere at the Operett Szinhaz in Budapest, Hungary in May 2006, and Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW) will stage the show in Vienna in February 2009 under the direction of David Leveaux (Nine, The Fiddler on the Roof, Cyrano de Bergerac). Kathrin Zechner, the Artistic Director of the musical division of VBW, who also attended the Toho's premiere said, "It was worth flying from Vienna to see this great production. Amon Miyamoto's work absolutely deserves special mention."

Toho Co., Ltd. is an award-winning theatrical production company that presented the first Broadway musical My Fair Lady in Japan in 1963. In the past forty years, Toho has presented numerous original and licensed musicals and straight plays in Tokyo and
throughout Japan including the imports from Broadway/West End such as Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, Kiss Me, Kate, Beggar's Opera and The Wedding Singer to name a few as well as Viennese imports Elisabeth and Tanz der Vampire. Toho is also extending its horizons by exporting musicals to abroad: Toho's original musical Marie Antoinette premiered in Tokyo in 2006 will have its premiere in Germany in 2009. Toho inaugurated its new theater, Theater Creation last fall, aiming to present more contemporary works both by domestic and international creators such as Private Lives directed by John Caird and Rent directed by Erica Schmidt. Toho's version of Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde has been revived in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Future productions with the creative team of RUDOLF: THE LAST KISS and Toho include Mr. Wildhorn's Cyrano, a new musical based on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, with the targeted opening in 2009.