BWW Interviews: Book Writer Christian Struppeck About New Collaboration with Stephen Schwartz in Vienna - EMANUEL & ELEONORE

Internationally renowned, Oscar- Grammy- and Golden Globe winning composer Stephen Schwartz is currently developing a brand new musical that is set to premier in the fall of 2016 in Vienna. The project is a collaboration with Christian Struppeck, artistic director of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (VBW), who is also writing the book for the show, and british star-director Trevor Nunn. The musical is centered on the live of the theater couple Emanuel and Eleonore Schikaneder, who were some of the most influencial people in the opera and theater world in the 18th Century Vienna, and the creation of one of the most famous opera pieces in history, The Magic Flute. The production is produced in-house by the VBW and I recently had the opportunty to spreak to book writer and artistic director Christian Struppeck about this exciting new musical and the international cooperation with Stephen Schwartz and Trevor Nunn.

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What can you tell us about the newest in-house production of the 'Vereinigte Bühnen Wien' (VBW), "Emanual and Eleononre"? What is the piece about?

The subtitle "the turbulent love story behind The Magic Flute" already gives a few hints: The new production is a romantic musical comedy about one of the most luminescent theatre couples that Vienna, yes, I want the say, the world, ever produced - Emanuel and Eleonore Schikaneder. The two influenced the theater world of the 18th Century significantly and in a prevailing manner. One of the most important pieces of the opera catalogue - The Magic Flute - would have never been created without them.

Emanuel Schikaneder is nowadays mostly known as the librettist of The Magic Flute, and only few people know that he - and foremost his wife, their relationship - were the fateful initial spark and motor for this masterpiece. In his time, Schikaneder was a celebrated universal talent: actor, playwright, director, bold entrepreneur, revolutionary impresario, visionary and competitive spirit, who could triumph as an actor in roles such as Hamlet and creating the part of Pagageno - a role that Mozart wrote for him. 'On the side', he built the "Theater an der Wien", one of the most modern and magnificent theaters of its time and to this day one of the most renowned opera houses in the world.

Of course the ladies fell for his charms by the dozen. But only the intelligent, witty and equally talented Eleonore could win his heart. As a dream couple they elicited thundering applauses. But the marriage was quickly tarnished by Schikaneder's unfaithfulness. Soon, Eleonore put an end to it and left her husband for another man and to take over the "Theater an der Wieden" in Vienna. A stroke of fate, however, forced Eleonore to ask the husband she now hated back to her side as creative director of the theater.

This resulted in an amusing cat-and-mouse-game of two lovers that challenged both of them to the extreme and spurred them on to cunning and creative top performances. In our play we follow them through highs and lows of their young love, to passionate disputes and a matured partnership and illuminate how this influenced and enabled the creation of The Magic Flute.

How did the idea to tap into the life of the Schikaneders come about? Is this story something you have had on your mind for a long time?

The musicologist Michael Lorenz, who studied Emanuel Schikaneder in recent years, had said in a publication a few years ago that it could be said with certainty that The Magic Flute would have never been created if Schinkaneder had been a faithful husband.

This statement alone is not only humorous, but also entails the potential of the story:

If you tap into Emanuel Schikaneders life you will discover a shining theater personality with an uncunning instinct for the popular, for stage magic and courage for experiments. An animal of the theater, a theater magician, one who always strived for the biggest effect, the most innovative, the most impressing. To shine light on such a personality is always appealing for theater creators. And the view on the 'theater behind the theater' has always been fascinating, and every audience loves glimpses 'behind the scenes'. Mozart and The Magic Flute have nowadays been placed on an almost holy pedestal, and rightly so. To show that even this pedestal is built on an all too human fundament is very appealing to me. And that all this is wrapped in a uniquely funny and likewise touching love story makes it irresistible for me.

I had been thinking about creating this piece for a long time. But only when it became clear that such top-class artists like Stephen Schwartz and Trevor Nunn were equally fascinated by the story and indicated their interest in a collaboration did the project become a reality. I only wanted to realize this story together with a first class creative team. Schikaneder himself always wanted to work with the best artists and create the best for the stage - and I wanted the same for our musical about him.

Emanuel and Eleonore is a completly new musical that isn't based on a movie or book, something that is relative rare in musical theater today. How did you do you research for the project and what sources did you use?

To create a musical that is not based on anything pre-existing is the surpreme discipline - the risk is higher and it is of course also more difficult. But it is also something very special, especially nowadays. I am proud and happy that it is possible with the VBW because it is an extremely exciting and especially creative process.

Of course there is a lot of research work behind it, but that is exciting as well. It spans from general historic details (How were theaters lit in the time of Schikaneder? Were women employed then? What did they eat? What were the laws, how was the health system organized?), to the sighting of documents, theater stubs, baptismal registers and likewise.

Particularily in recent years a lot of scientific work has been done about Emanuel Schikaneder. That was and and is extremly helpful. On the other hand, very little is known about his wife Eleonore. From a foot note here and a mention there we were able to piece together a historic overall picture that provides the framework but also leave a lot of room for creative interpretation.

This is of course where it gets most exciting. With all respect to the historic facts it is not our intention to write a documentary, but to create a story that brings to life the people and emotions and will pull in a modern audience. That means that sometimes you only need to know the historic context to be able to take the freedom to conciously tweak an aspect of the story. Of course dramaturgic decisions are big part in this, because we want to tell an exciting story. Nontheless we were able to largly stay true to the historic facts.

Stephen Schwartz is a well-known name in Broadway, but he had also previously worked in Germany in the past and created the musical version of The Hunchback of Norte Dame there. Why did you choose Stephen Schwartz as the composer for this project and how did the collaboration with the American composer come about?

Stephen Schwartz and I have known and appreciated each other since we worked together on the world premiere of The Hunchback of Norte Dame in Berlin in 1999. We became friends then and stayed in touch. Back then, we had made the plan to one day create a musical together, when the circumstances are right and we would find the right material. And now, Emanual and Eleonore finally brought us together.

Emanuel and Eleonore goes behind the scenes of the creation of Mozart's world famous opera The Magic Flute. What is the audience in for, musically? Will excerpts or passages of The Magic Flute be integrated into the musical in one form or another?

Well, everybody who already heard the music of Emanuel and Eleonore that Stephen Schwartz wrote was highly enthusiastic. Yes, those who know The Magic Flute will recognize Mozart in particular passages, harmonies, and affectionate and skillful innuendoes. Stephen successfully used little references to bring Mozart into a completely independent, fascinating and new musical world. He creates magical, catchy melodies that have big audience appeal and that form the wonderful, romantically-witty foundation for this singular story.

The theme of the show is rather specifically based in Austrian history, the Schikaneders are probably only known to versed opera lovers outside of Austria. The Magic Flute and Mozart, on the other hand, are known worldwide. Are you hoping to produce the musical internationally in the future, with Stephen Schwartz's name attached maybe even to bring it to the US?

Of course that hope always exists when you're developing a big show. Naturally, everything associated with The Magic Flute and Mozart will generate some global buzz, as does our international, world-class creative team. And even though Emanuel and Eleonore are primarily better known in Austria, their love story is so fascinatingly unique and simultaneously universal that the story will be able to move people everywhere. That is already reflected in composition of our team: The Schikaneder's are equally fascinating to the Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz and British star-director Trevor Nunn with his roots in Shakespeare. So, who knows? Schikaneder always wanted to "fly high"...

Photo Credit: Rolf Bock