Stephen Schwartz's MAKING MAGIC (aka SCHIKANEDER)

Being put on by the Australian Discovery Orchestra; to be performed in English, in Melbourne in November. I'm not hugely familiar with the show, but it's about Eleonore and Emanuel Schikaneder; Emanuel was the librettist of The Magic Flute, and they managed a theatre company together I gather. The show originally premiered with the title of SCHIKANEDER in Vienna in 2016, and was performed in German then.

https://australiandiscoveryorchestra.com/season/

https://australiandiscoveryorchestra.com/events/season-concert-no-3-the-magic-makers-a-new-musical-by-stephen-schwartz-afternoon-performance/

https://australiandiscoveryorchestra.com/events/season-concert-no-3-the-magic-makers-a-new-musical-by-stephen-schwartz-evening-performance/

It looks to be a pretty small-scale event, with just two performances and a school venue; but it's good to see this show getting its English-language premiere (I believe?) in whatever form. Wonder what, if anything, it bodes for the show's future. Did anyone here happen to see the show in Vienna back in the day? If so, what did you think of it?

Updated On: 7/1/22 at 02:22 PM

I saw the show in Vienna and thought it was good. The music was gorgeous as were the sets. The whole set including the proscenium revolved to show you scenes backstage and on stage. It wasn't quite there yet but it had good bones. Glad to hear the English version is going to be performed

I don't think the concert version I mentioned above ever happened, due to COVID. But in the latest edition of The Schwartz Scene newsletter (also the source for those recent comments about why 'Wicked' is getting two films), there's also an update on this show. For one thing, it's now called MAKING MAGIC rather than THE MAGIC MAKERS.

"For the first production Christian Struppeck developed the book, Stephen Schwartz wrote the score, and Mr. [Trevor] Nunn directed. Nunn and Schwartz are now working with a new bookwriter Joanna Murray-Smith who came on board for an English version."

https://www.theschwartzscene.com/quarterly-newsletter/issue-72-summer-2022-stephen-schwartz-news/

So maybe we'll yet see an English production of this show, sooner or later.

Updated On: 7/1/22 at 06:31 PM