It's a bit disingenuous to compare Wildhorn's Rudolf to the success of a mega-hit like Elisabeth; why not, instead, put it side-by-side with Mozart!, 3 Musketiere, Marie Antoinette, Barbarella, etc...?
The VBW and the German stages have had their share of hits and misses, and there aren't easy lines to draw between the composer and the success of the product. (Looking at the creative teams of Rebecca & Elisabeth...)
Now I'm not saying, and I don't think anyone is, that Wildhorn shows earn universal overseas raves, but that he
has generally had more commercial success overseas than on Broadway is hard to deny. I don't mean just Europe, but also S. Korea and Japan (which has also staged Rudolf, by the by).
In all honesty, I tend to like the overseas incarnations of Wildhorn's work more than the ones back here at home. Why exactly that is, I haven't quite figured out yet. It'd tickle me pink to go to Europe to see Bonnie&Clyde in, say, German, if it doesn't stay around here long enough for me to see the Broadway production. Talk about killer irony!
Updated On: 12/7/11 at 04:45 PM