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See Wonderland below.
Frank is developing the musical Bonnie & Clyde, with lyrics by Don Black (Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Dracula) and a book by Ivan Menchell (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Cemetary Club, The Prince and the Pauper). The show tells the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, ill-fated lovers and outlaws whose tale has captured the imagination ever since it took place during the Great Depression. The project is described as a "non-traditional score, combining rockabilly, blues and gospel music." As reported by BroadwayWorld.com and
Playbill Online, an invite-only, industry
reading of the show took place at The Roundabout Theatre
Company in early February 2009. The reading was directed by Jeff Calhoun (Brooklyn, Grey
Gardens, Deaf West's Big River), with music direction by John McDaniel ("The Rosie O'Donnell
Show", Grease!, Annie Get Your Gun). The cast was led by Laura Osnes (Kathleen Marshall's
Grease) as Bonnie and Stark Sands (Journey's End, Tony Award nominee) as Clyde. They were
joined by Rob Evan, Kelsey Fowler, Natalie Hill, Michael Lanning, David Larsen, Jacob Levine, Brynn O'Malley,
Geoff Packard, Tricia Paoluccio, Jessica Phillips, Nancy Ringham, Bart Shatto, Marty Thomas, Ben Thompson,
Tad Wilson and Betsy Wolfe.
A production of Cyrano has been announced at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. The show will run there from 5 through 28 May 2009, starring Takeshi Kaga (the original Japanese Jekyll & Hyde) in the title role, Hikaru Asami (Elisabeth) as Roxanne and Kenji Urai (Rudolf, Elisabeth) and Masataka Nakagauchi sharing the part of Christian. The show will have direction by Kazuya Yamada, music direction by Akihiro Shiota and choreography by Kiyomi Maeda. The lyric translations will be provided by Kazuko Matsuoka, with the script translation by Machiko Ryuu. Tickets are currently on sale. More information is available on the Fuji TV production site and the Toho production site (both in Japanese). This production will also play at Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka, Japan, 3-7 June 2009. Tickets for this run go on sale 7 March. There are also plans to bring Cyrano to the stage in Spain. Spanish singing star
Raphael - who headlined the Spanish premiere of Jekyll & Hyde in
2000 - will star. A Spanish concept recording of the show featuring Raphael is in the works. A release
date for the album and further details on the production have not been set, and will be forthcoming.
Frank is currently developing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with Gregory Boyd and Jack
Murphy. The show is expected to be a gothic, romantic mystery, and will largely examine the
inspiration and creative process that led to Mary Shelley's famous novel. There are hopes for a
concept recording and for a production, possibly at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. No
definite production or recording plans have been announced at this time.
Frank is writing a new musical with Shuichiro Koike (book and director) and Jack Murphy (lyrics), titled Mitsuko. The show focuses on Mitsuko Aoyama (1874-1941), who was the first Japanese woman to marry a westerner. In 1892, she married the Austro-Hungarian ambassador, Count Heinrich Coudenhove-Kalergi. Almost five years later they moved to Austria, where their family would grow to include seven children. Following Heinrich's death in 1906, Mitsuko stayed in Vienna to provide the best opportunities possible for their children. Their second son, Richard Nikolaus, became the founder of the first movement for a unified Europe, editing the "Paneuropa" journal and publishing a manifesto of the same name. Mitsuko is therefore sometimes referred to as "the mother of European unification." She remained in Vienna even through anti-Japanese sentiments during the First World War, and until her own death in 1941.
Yoka Wao included the song "Love Crosses All Borders" from this project, along with three of Frank's other
songs, in a concert performance in January 2007 in Tokyo, Japan. The concert has been released on DVD - full
details and purchasing links are on the albums & songbooks
page.
The musical tells the story of author Alice Cornwinkle (a descendant of Lewis Carroll's muse Alice Lidell) who is struggling with her career and her daughter, Cloe. With a chaotic Wonderland in danger of disappearing into nothingness, only Alice can restore balance and joy. Audiences will journey with her through the Looking-Glass from present-day Manhattan to a strange-yet-familiar place where she must reclaim her daughter, defeat the Queen of Hearts and learn to follow her heart. The show will have lyrics by Jack Murphy, a book by Phoebe Hwang and direction by Gregory Boyd. It will be the inaugural effort for TBPAC's Broadway Genesis Project, under the leadership of Judith Lisi. Tickets will be available first to season subscribers, and will go on sale to the general public on 16 August. There is a ticket waiting list available, and select show merchandise is also available. Additional information and sound clips can be found on Jack Murphy's website. An invite-only, Equity reading of the show took place in New York City on 20 March, under the direction of Gregory Boyd. The reading cast included Lauren Kennedy (Alice), Ryan Silverman (White Knight), Sean McCourt (White Rabbit), Julie Brooks (Chloe), Julia Murney (Queen), Nikki Snelson (Mad Hatter), Sean Palmer (El Gato) and John Treacy Egan (Jabberwock/ensemble), along with ensemble members Alison Cimmet, Natalie Hill, Anne Tolpegin, Kristy Cates, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Noah Weisberg and Kyle Dean Massey. Material from the show was developed at the Broadway Theatre Project's Summer Musical Theatre Arts
Education Program in July 2007. Participants in the program worked with Frank and artistic director Debra
McWaters "on creating the well-known characters in innovative and modern ways." Brandi Burkhardt, who has
been attached to the project for the title role, also participated. Two songs from the show were premiered
in a concert titled "Musicals: The Old and The New", which concluded the BTP program.
Havana with Jack Murphy & Nilo Cruz and Excalibur with Jim Steinman & Gregory Boyd. Copyright © 1999-2009 Wildhorn Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Cyrano is Frank's next collaboration with Leslie Bricusse (Jekyll & Hyde), based
on the classic work by Edmond Rostand.
Material from the show was premiered at the "Mitsuko Musical Concert" in Vienna
on Friday, 9 December 2005. Ten selections from the show were performed by Uwe Kröger (as
Heinrich), Maki Ichiro (as Mitsuko) and Yoshio Inoue (as Richard). They were backed by the
Musical Festival Orchestra Vienna, conducted by Adrian Manz. Most of the songs were performed
in German, with translations by Ulrich Peters, while the rest were presented in English. The
concert also included selections from Jekyll & Hyde and other shows. The event, which
was produced by 
Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure will have its world premiere in Tampa, Florida
on 5 December 2009. The developmental staging at the