Wildhorns "Rudolf" to premiere

[Asha]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 5:58am

The Musical about the son of Epress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria had it's premiere yesterday in Hungaria.

Haven't heard any critics yet execpt for
"it sounds like Wildhorn"

https://www.frankwildhorn.com/projects/rudolf

[tophertilson]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 8:39am

I guess you have to give the man credit for plugging away. If only he was as talented as he is prolific.

TT

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 1:55pm

Why does "The Man In The Chair"'s comment about Elton John come to mind....?

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 1:57pm

lol, well, let's keep in mind, people love Wildhorn in europe as much as he is unapreciated in the US. Fair enough, I don't think that show will ever go for a Broadway run after all...

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 2:08pm

Keep in mind, they love David Hasselhoff over there, too...

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 2:36pm

lol, Sondheimboy, they did rather than they do. He's not that omnipresent there any more.

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 2:53pm

'Meyerling' is a very good full length ballet about Crown Prince Rudolf by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 7:19pm

I honestly can't express how annoyed I am by this musical. I do realize that it focus' on Crown-Prince Rudolf, however I feel that Wildhorn is pathetically unoriginal. If any musical dealing with the Hapsburg Dynasty were to appear in America it should without a doubt be the Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay musical "Elisabeth." The musical is brilliantly written and scored, by two of the best creators of their craft. It's true, Wildhorn does have a bit more of a presence/success in Germany and surrounding countries, but make no mistake that his musicals are all reviewed in the same fashion overseas. "Elisabeth" is stunning in all forms, having seen the production 3 times. I personally think that both of Kunze and Levay's musicals "Elisabeth" and "Mozart" would fare amazingly well in America, but when frank wildhorn takes on any form of historical topic, he falls flat on his fingers. I personally hope that this production doesn't move past a work-shopping stage, "ELisabeth" is the truly deserving musical, slightly brushing over the life of Rudolf.

Anyhoo...LATER!

Phantom05

Updated On: 5/27/06 at 07:19 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 8:28pm

I think Wildhorn is very good but this type of musical (story line) will not sell on Broadway

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 5/27/06 at 10:43pm

"It's true, Wildhorn does have a bit more of a presence/success in Germany and surrounding countries, but make no mistake that is musicals are all reviewed in the same fashion overseas."

That is far from the truth Dracula opened to great reviews in Swiss as do most of his shows.

I agree that this show will probably never hit broadway but I'm not sure that is the point. It is opening and then will open in Vienna in a year. There currently are no plans after that.

Frank does have a atleast one show currently aimed for Broadway and one opening in London in the fall.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 12:24am

"Dracula" received nothing more than mediocre reviews when it opened in St. Gallen. I attended one of the performances in '05 and was pretty stunned at how bad it was. German critics were not generous and no one was willing to take the show further. Neither "Jekyll and Hyde" nor "The Scarlett Pimpernel" received good reviews as well. Franks "over-the-top-pop" style is a bit more appealing, but any great word of mouth referencing one of his shows deals in regards to one of is actors (Drew Sarich and Jesper Tyden were amazing). Structurally his shows are quite different in Europe, but they are, for the most part, still the same show. I don't know what reviews you have been reading or if you have even seen these productions, but they aren't anything to scream about...From an audience members point of view, nor the critics' text.

It is true, however, his shows are just better with his management and creative team in Europe.

Phantom05

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 12:27am

i don't think Wildhorn is "unappreciated" in the US.

he's seen for what he is. A composer of...erm...trash

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 6:04am

An opinion not shared by all

Some think of La Chuisa as a God. I do not & prefer Wildhorn to him. To each his own

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 6:16am

No, Caroline-Q-or-Taboo, I disagree. Yes, I prefer many composer to him, but that doesn't prevent me from acknowledging that he is able to write catchy tunes. That he isn't too theatrical is rather a problem of his collaborator's in my opinion.

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 9:04am

I'm with FranklinShepard-Inc on that one.

Also, his shows that make it to Broadway are always the worst versions. JEKYLL & HYDE's pre-Broadway tryout was stunning, but it failed to be as good on the Great White Way. Same goes for THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL 1.0, 3.0 and 4.0 (2.0 was actually his best show on Broadway to date, in my opinion), THE CIVIL WAR & DRACULA. DRACULA's La Jolla run was MUCH better than the Broadway run. Why is this? Because during the tryout runs, the authors have much more say in the production. When they get to Broadway, the directors take over, leaving the authors' opinions in the dust. This is what happened with DRACULA and why the show was not so great. In Europe, the shows usually are restored to the way Frank thinks they should be and guess what, they are way more successful over there.

Having seen CAMILLE CLAUDEL and WAITING FOR THE MOON, I have to say if they don't mess with these shows, they can become potential successes on Broadway, but as soon as a director gets the show on the Great White Way and starts playing around, that's when things go wrong.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 9:29am

Well, "Waiting for the Moon" is either way something unusual for Wildhorn in terms of musical style. It is more like what he did when he stepped in for Victor/Victoria. More tradtitional showtune, far as I heard.

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 9:38am

The music is all jazz and swing. And what's even better is that most of the music isn't in his typical VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS BRIDGE CHORUS style. It's more unpredictable which is a relief.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 9:40am

Any news on whether a recording of it is due?

[WildhornFanatic]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 10:33am

I have heard that GlobalVision is working on a demo for it now, but I'm not sure if that's just a rumor or not.

[Asha]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 12:43pm

Product Description
Hungarian stage stars present showmusic hits from Elisabeth, Mozart, Jekyll & Hyde, Romeo & Julia, Beauty and the Beast, Jesus Christ Superstar and more. This CD offers the first ever recordings of three songs from the new Frank Wildhorn-musical RUDOLF, THE LAST KISS, which after Budapest will be seen in Vienna. It also contains two remix versions of songs from ROMEO & JULIET.
21 tracks sung in Hungarian:

1. ROMEO & JULIA - Aimer/Liebe (Kata Janza, Ágota Siméfalvy, Dóra Szinetár, Zoltán Bereczki, Attila Dolhai, Árpád Zsolt Mészáros, Szilveszter Szabó P.)
2. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - Beauty and the Beast (Ágota Siméfalvy, Zoltán Bereczki)
3. SWEET CHARITY - If you could see me now (Ágota Siméfalvy)
4. MISS SAIGON - The Last Night Of The World (Dóra Szinetár, Zoltán Bereczki)
5. ELISABETH - Der letzte Tanz (Szilveszter Szabó P.)
6. ELISABETH - Ich gehör nur mir (Kata Janza)
7. ELISABETH - Wenn ich tanzen will (Kata Janza, Szilveszter Szabó P.)
8. MENYAASSZONYTÁNC - Rózsi Dala (Ágota Siméfalvy)
9. LÉGY JÓ MINDHALÁLIG - Kisfiú (Árpád Zsolt Mészáros)
10. A VÖRÖS MALOM - Mima Dala (Dóra Szinetár)
11. VALAHOL EURÓPÁBAN - Miért Van (Attila Dolhai)
12. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - King Herodes Song (Szilveszter Szabó P.)
13. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - Gethsemane (Attila Dolhai)
14. MOZART! - Wie wird man seinen Schatten los? (Árpád Zsolt Mészáros)
15. MOZART! - Dich kennen heisst Dich lieben (Ágota Siméfalvy, Árpád Zsolt Mészáros)
16. MOZART! - Ein bissel für's Hirn... (Zoltán Bereczki)
17. JEKYLL & HYDE - No-One knows who I am (Dóra Szinetár)
18. RUDOLF, THE LAST KISS - Érted Születtem (Kata Janza, Attila Dolhai)
19. RUDOLF, THE LAST KISS - Csak Szerelem (Kata Janza)
20. RUDOLF, THE LAST KISS - A Holnap Hidja (Kata Janza, Ágota Siméfalvy, Dóra Szinetár, Zoltán Bereczki, Attila Dolhai, Árpád Zsolt Mészáros, Szilveszter Szabó P.)
21. ROMEO & JULIA - Les Rois Du Monde / Herrscher der Welt (Zoltán Bereczki, Attila Dolhai, Árpád Zsolt Mészáros)

Track 20 is such a catchy song.
Well sung and great voices.

Updated On: 5/28/06 at 12:43 PM

[cserannie]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 12:50pm

and also in two weeks there will be the premiere of the Producers in Budapest, Hungary.

Oh, and as a Hungarian...no, I am not really fond of Wildhorn nor Hasselhoff.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 12:53pm

You're right, Roxy. Each to his own. Maybe I was a little harsh. I've seen many Wildhorn shows, I also saw him play in person for a gala at a local theater here! His music just doesn't impress me. The Civil War, was, in my opinion, his finest score. Scarlet Pimpernel following. Not that that means anything. somtimes, I wonder if I prefer ALW to Wildhorn.

I don't think LaChiusa's god. But I think his music is marvelous and leaps and bounds above the power ballads of Wildhorn.

Just one man's opinion

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 1:24pm

True true

I do admit I loved his Wild Party. the show was great as is the music

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 1:30pm

It's so funny because, of all the LaChiusa: The Wild Party is my least favorite!!!

weird!