Frank Wildhorn

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Frank Wildhorn
Born (1958-11-29) November 29, 1958 (age 65)
New York City, New York, United States
Occupation(s) Composer, songwriter, playwright
Years active1977–present

Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical Jekyll & Hyde ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitney Houston.

Contents

Early years

Wildhorn was born in Harlem and spent his childhood in Queens before moving to Hollywood, Florida, at age 14. Soon after he taught himself how to play the piano, Wildhorn realized he wanted to compose music. During high school, he played in and wrote for various bands, ranging from rock and roll to Rhythm and blues to jazz. He attended Miami-Dade College for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he studied history and philosophy. He started writing Jekyll & Hyde with Steve Cuden, who was working at USC when Frank was a student. He is Jewish. [1]

Career

In the popular music arena, Wildhorn has worked with such artists as Stacy Lattisaw, Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Trisha Yearwood, Tracy Lawrence, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Dennis DeYoung, and Linda Eder, to whom he was married. His "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was an international number one hit for Whitney Houston in 1988. Wildhorn is Creative Director of Atlantic Theatre, an Atlantic Records division that develops new American musicals. In 2005, he co-founded GlobalVision Records with long-time collaborator Jeremy Roberts. GlobalVision releases include a new concept recording of Dracula, the Musical and a new studio recording of Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection.

Stage

In 1999, Wildhorn had three shows running simultaneously on Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde at the Plymouth Theatre, The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Minskoff Theatre, and The Civil War at the St. James Theatre; however, all three shows closed without making a profit, for a total loss approaching $20 million. [2] In 2004, he collaborated with Don Black and Christopher Hampton on a musical based on Dracula.

Wildhorn has become a prominent composer globally, with many productions in Europe and Asia having long runs. Jekyll & Hyde is one of the longest running musicals of all time in South Korea.[ citation needed ] The musical Carmen , with music by Wildhorn and lyrics by Jack Murphy, premiered in Prague in October 2008. [3] The musical Count of Monte Cristo , music by Wildhorn with book and lyrics by Jack Murphy, received a workshop reading in November 2008, and opened at the Theatre of St. Gallen, Switzerland in March 2009. [4] [5] Another musical, with music by Wildhorn and lyrics by Don Black, Bonnie and Clyde, received an industry reading in February 2009 [6] and premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California in November 2009. Also in November 2009, another new musical, Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure premiered at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Art in Tampa, Florida, with another production following at the Alley Theatre, Houston, Texas, in January 2010. [7]

Wildhorn is also the first Broadway musician to work with the Takarazuka Revue on the Cosmos Troupe's production of the musical Never Say Goodbye .

Other musicals include Camille Claudel, which ran in 2003 at the Goodspeed Opera House and a short developmental run at the NYMT Festival in 2004, and Waiting for the Moon starring Lauren Kennedy and Jarrod Emmick in New Jersey in 2005, with the musical being renamed Zelda for a run at Flatrock Playhouse in 2012. In 2015, Wildhorn created a musical based on the popular Japanese manga series Death Note (this would lead to more manga adaptations, such as Fist of the North Star in 2021 and Your Lie In April in 2022). In 2018, he debuted The Man Who Laughs in South Korea, based on Victor Hugo's novel. [8] [9] [10] The Man Who Laughs won three awards at the 2019 Korean Musical Awards, including Best Musical.

Other compositions

Wildhorn composed a full-length commissioned symphonic piece, Danube Symphony, which was recorded by the 96-piece Vienna Symphony. A CD of the work was released on December 10, 2021. The premiere took place on 3rd November 2022 in Wiener Musikverein. [11]

Personal life

Wildhorn married Linda Eder on May 3, 1998. They have a son, and he has another son from an earlier marriage. [12] [13] He and Eder divorced in 2004.

Wildhorn was engaged to Brandi Burkhardt, best known for playing the role of Crickett on Hart of Dixie . He also wrote the roles of Alice in Wonderland and Bonnie in Bonnie & Clyde for her. [14] They separated in late 2010.

In 2014, he announced his engagement to Yoka Wao, a former Takarazuka male-role top star who played the lead role in Never Say Goodbye and the Japanese production of Dracula. They were married on July 26, 2015, in Maui, Hawaii. [15]

Works

Cast recordings

Wildhorn produced and composed a majority of Linda Eder's solo albums and is widely recognized for his ability to release a score before the show opens and have it sell really well. Below are the major concept and cast recordings he has made over his career that have been released in the United States.

  1. ↑ Grammy Nominated
  2. ↑ Certified Platinum

The following concept albums were announced, but were never released.

Other songs

Award nominations

YearAward CeremonyCategoryNominated WorkResult
1998 Grammy Award Best Musical Theatre Album Jekyll & Hyde: Original Broadway Cast RecordingNominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Music The Scarlet Pimpernel Nominated
1999 Tony Award Best Original Score The Civil War Nominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding MusicNominated
2012Tony AwardBest Original Score Bonnie & Clyde Nominated
Drama Desk AwardOutstanding MusicNominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding ScoreNominated

Additionally, Wildhorn's musicals The Civil War and The Scarlet Pimpernel were nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards, and The Civil War and Bonnie & Clyde earned Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Broadway Musical. Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, and Bonnie & Clyde also received nominations for Outstanding Musical by the Outer Critics Circle.

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<i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> (musical) Musical by Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics & book by Nan Knighton, based on the 1905 novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the spy fiction and the superhero genres, where a hero hides under a mild-mannered alias.

<i>Jekyll & Hyde</i> (musical) Musical

Jekyll & Hyde is a 1990 musical loosely based on the 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Originally conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, it features music by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse and lyrics by all of them. After a world premiere run in Houston, Texas, the musical embarked on a national tour of the United States prior to its Broadway debut in 1997. Many international productions in various languages have since been staged including two subsequent North American tours, two tours in the United Kingdom, a concert version, a revamped US tour in 2012, a 2013 Broadway revival featuring Constantine Maroulis, and an Australian concert version in 2019 starring Anthony Warlow.

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<i>Dracula, the Musical</i> 2001 American musical by Frank Wildhorn

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<i>The Civil War</i> (musical) 1998 musical by Gregory Boyd, Frank Wildhorn, Jack Murphy

The Civil War is a musical written by Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and music by Wildhorn. The musical centers on the American Civil War, with the musical numbers portraying the war through Union, Confederate, and slave viewpoints. The musical was nominated for two Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. Its styles include gospel, folk, country, rock, and rhythm and blues.

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<i>Camille Claudel</i> (musical) Musical

Camille Claudel is a musical with a book and lyrics by Nan Knighton and music by Frank Wildhorn, their second musical. It is based on the life of the real-life French sculptor and graphic artist Camille Claudel. The musical premiered at Goodspeed Musicals in 2003.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a musical with a book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn. It is based on the 1897 play of the same title by Edmond Rostand.

<i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> (Wildhorn musical) Musical

The Count of Monte Cristo is a musical based on the famed 1844 novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, with influences from the 2002 film adaptation of the book. The music is written by Frank Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Jack Murphy.

<i>Wonderland</i> (musical) Musical by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn

Wonderland, formerly called Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure or Wonderland: A New Alice, is a musical play with a book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd, lyrics by Murphy, and music by Frank Wildhorn. The story, a contemporary version of the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll, is set in New York City and focuses on writer Alice Cornwinkle and her 10-year-old daughter Chloe.

<i>Waiting for the Moon</i> (musical) Musical

Waiting for the Moon: An American Love Story, formerly Zelda or Scott & Zelda: The Other Side Of Paradise, is a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Jack Murphy. It is the second finished production the two have presented, having previously collaborated on The Civil War. The show had its world premiere at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in Marlton, New Jersey in July 2005. The musical is based on the lives of famed American author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald.

<i>Bonnie & Clyde</i> (musical) 2009 musical

Bonnie & Clyde is a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black and a book by Ivan Menchell. The world premiere took place in San Diego, California in November 2009. The musical centers on Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, the ill-fated lovers and outlaws whose story has been infamous since they achieved folk hero status during the Great Depression. Wildhorn described the music as a "non-traditional score, combining rockabilly, blues and gospel music". The San Diego run was followed by a Sarasota, Florida, engagement in 2010.

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References

  1. ↑ Schleier, Curt (December 1, 2014). "The Broadway Composer Critics Love To Hate". Forward. Retrieved May 30, 2022. Wildhorn: 'My parents met at a Jewish dance at a Y on the [Grand] Concourse, I think.'
  2. ↑ McKinley, Jeffrey (November 10, 2000). "ON STAGE AND OFF; 'Jekyll and Hyde' Among Closings". The New York Times .
  3. ↑ "Carmen" information Archived January 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine frankwildhorn.com
  4. ↑ Gans, Andrew and Jones, Kenneth. "Tale of Two Cities' Barbour and Burkhardt Cast in Monte Cristo Workshop" playbill.com, November 6, 2008
  5. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Borchert to Star in World Premiere of Wildhorn's Count of Monte Cristo" playbill.com, February 18, 2009
  6. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Stark Sands and Laura Osnes are Bonnie and Clyde in NYC Reading of Wildhorn Musical" playbill.com, February 4, 2009
  7. ↑ Hetrick, Adam and Jones, Kenneth. "Wildhorn and Murphy's Wonderland Makes Houston Bow Jan. 15" playbill.com, January 10, 2010
  8. ↑ Henry, Alan (February 28, 2018). "VIDEO: Frank Wildhorn Teases THE MAN WHO LAUGHS in Seoul". BroadwayWorld.
  9. ↑ Loo, Egan (July 15, 2021). "Fist of the North Star Manga Gets Stage Musical in December". Anime News Network . Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 9, 2022). "Fist of the North Star Musical Returns With New Cast". Anime News Network . Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ Video: Watch the Vienna Symphony Orchestra Rehearse Frank Wildhorn's 'Danube Symphony'
  12. ↑ "Weddings: Linda Eder, Frank Wildhorn". The New York Times. May 3, 1998.
  13. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder, Couple Who Made Music on Stage and in Studio, Split Up" playbill.com, July 28, 2004
  14. ↑ Kaye, Kimberly. "Fresh Face: Brandi Burkhardt", broadway.com, September 18, 2008
  15. ↑ Osnes, Laura [@lauraosnes] (July 26, 2015). "Married in Maui!!! #aloha #frankwildhorn #YokaWao" – via Instagram.
  16. ↑ Zelda Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine flatrockplayhouse.org
  17. ↑ "UK tour announced for Wonderland musical | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. March 18, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Frank Wildhorn Biography" Archived April 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine frankwildhorn.com, accessed March 27, 2012.
  19. ↑ Henry Fuller, Sally (February 1, 2015). "First Listen- Jeremy Jordan and Jarrod Spector Sing New Frank Wildhorn Tune From DEATH NOTE". BroadwayWorld.
  20. ↑ "News from Takarazuka Official Website". Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
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