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Information on this project is now listed on the Bonnie & Clyde page.
The show had its world premiere at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, from 5 through 28 May 2009. The production starred 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. It had direction by Kazuya Yamada, music direction by Akihiro Shiota and choreography by Kiyomi Maeda. The lyric translations were provided by Kazuko Matsuoka, with the script translation by Machiko Ryuu. More information is available on the Fuji TV production site (in Japanese). This production also played at Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka, Japan, 3-7 June 2009, and reportedly toured the country. 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.
Havana is a project Frank has been developing with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Nilo Cruz (book)
and Jack Murphy (lyrics). The world premiere production was planned for the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena,
California, as part of their 2010 season. Unfortunately, the Playhouse is shuttering as of 7 February due to
financial difficulties, and according to
Variety the show's
producers have parted ways with the theater. Sergio Trujillo (choreographer for Jersey Boys and
All Shook Up) was slated to direct and choreograph, Joseph Church (The Lion King, The Who's
Tommy) would have music directed, and Oscar Hernández (founder and leader of the Grammy
Award-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra) was to serve as special consultant/dance arranger for the production
in Pasadena. New plans for the show have not been announced at this time.
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.
Playbill Online and BroadwayWorld.com announced that the second industry reading of Tears From Heaven took place in New York on 11 September 2009. The cast for the reading was led by Deborah Lew, Paolo Montalban and John Cudia, under the direction of Gabriel Barre and the musical direction of Adrian Werum. Tears From Heaven is a new musical with a book by Phoebe Hwang and lyrics by Robin Lerner.
The show is being produced by Creative Production and Seol & Company, and will debut in Seoul in 2010.
According to press notes, "the original story takes place in Vietnam in 1968 and is a love triangle between a
beautiful Vietnamese singer, a Korean private, and an American Colonel set against the backdrop of the days
leading up to and during the Tet Offensive. The action follows our characters to Seoul, Korea, and the shores
of America in San Francisco's Chinatown."
The production is expected to feature unique forms of far eastern puppetry, mask work, dance, and combat
choreography. The score will represent a combination of Asian, French, and pop genres and even enter the
world of opera. It is hoped that a recording will be released in Korea prior to the opening there.
Information on this project is now listed on the Wonderland page. 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