I noticed this in Frank's bio on the creative team page @ the Wonderland site. Might interest some of you:

Interesting indeed. I haven't seen the titles Casanova or Ali in a long time, and this is the first mention I've seen of Mata Hari.

Mata Hari is mentioned in the information inside the Cyrano de Bergerac cassette from 1993. It was one of the projects that was mentioned as a possibility for the Cyrano Records label that never took off.

According to Wikipedia...
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle MacLeod (7 August 1876, Leeuwarden - 15 October 1917, Vincennes), a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who, although possibly innocent, was executed by firing squad in France for espionage for Germany during World War I.

This sounds really interesting.

I don't think Jim Steinman will be involved with "Excalibur" as he is very busy working on a new musical project in the West End. Shame, as Frank and Jim are among my greatest idols, as I've said before, and I would still love to see them work together.

The program of the Vienna RUDOLF said Frankenstein had already premiered so I'm alway very careful with these kinds of things since the biographies aren't always THAT accurate.

That said, Casanova is a GREAT idea to mix with Frank's music. If someone is able to compose seductive, sexy songs, that person is Frank. All he needs is to find a GOOD libretist. I think it would be nice to see Casanova done by Nan and him. She was, by far, the best libretist Frank worked with so far.

Mata Hari wasn't innocent at all (unlike Wikipedia says) and it would be interesting although I must say, a musical based on her would be REALLY risky, mainly 'cause you can only tell her story with lots of sex envolved and that would have to turn the musical 18+

As for Excalibur, Jim Steinman is very ill so I doubt he'll be working on anything. He wasn't even able to sound check the recent Tanz der Vampire Gesamtaufnahme and he always hears the CDs before allowing them to be released.


I think Frank should concentrate in publicizing CYRANO and HAVANA, try to get them staged again (or premiere it in Havana's case), release English Concepts and only then move towards another project.

I think there has actually been another musical version of Mata Hari produced in the past. That might be something worth looking into.

As for Jim, he was significantly ill earlier this year but I believe he is recovering and working on a very exciting project. Also, Jim was the executive producer of the recent Tanz CD, his first production credit in almost 8 years, and you can tell because I think it sounds more like a Steinman CD than all the previous Tanz CDs aside from Vienna.

Also, has anybody had any luck finding the songlist for Cyrano?

Edit: Nan is my favourite lyricist Frank has worked with and he should work with her more often! But I think I know why he doesn't, as she likes to focus on one project at a time?

I have a terrible feeling Havana's not happening, atleast for another long while.

You'd think they'd just take the money they raised and move to another regional theatre, but no they just cut it off. Bizarre.

"Excalibur" could still have lyrics by Jim -- Glenn Slater worked on the lyrics to Sister Act, Little Mermaid and I'm pretty sure LoVE NeVER DiES all around the same time. Not to mention this particular idea has been rumored for years.

I wonder if Frank still has any plans to write with Maury Yeston. I'd love to see that!

Frank has a habit of surprising us. Example, I did not think "Wonderland" would reach Broadway before "Bonnie & Clyde". For all we know, they might be negotiating even as we "speak".

Ah, yes, Maury Yeston...I can't explain how much I love his "Titanic" musical with Peter Stone, and I hope they bring it back somehow for the centennary. I don't know whether you know this but Frank and Maury have actually written together in the past, and I believe they were supposed to collaborate on a version of "Adam & Eve" for Frank's Romantics project?

But, yes, I would also love to see a Yeston/Wildhorn collaboration.

Jim was the executive producer but he didn't sound proved the CD. And then it was the AWFUL disaster it was. Production errors, poor sound quality, half of it re-recorded in the studio...

No luck on Cyrano.

And Michael Kunze says it is a possibility for him to work with Frank. Now THAT would make my day. Michael Kunze is the best libretist I've ever seen and Frank is the best composer. Now smash them togheter and imagine the masterpiece that would come from that!
(I just think that Michael would have to "chain" Frank, 'cause Michael is very story centered and he never puts songs just "because" :P )

Yes Glenn Slater is behind the lyrics of LOVE NEVER DIES. Which isn't really a point in his favour... :lol:

Only in German, I've seen a sample of Kunze's English work and I was not all that impressed.

Well german IS his mother language. And a Musical by Michael Kunze would always be written in german ;) The english demos you can hear from him, aren't meant to be staged. That's why he got Christopher Hampton to work in the english version of Rebecca.

His english lyrics aren't THAT impressive, you're right...and yet, he still puts Don Black in a corner :lol:

The think is, Michael Kunze knows how to build a strong libretto, even if his english lyrics aren't Sondheim. On the other hand, with the exception of Nan, none of the other libretists that Frank worked so far are able to put a decent libretto together. The stories are always very weak.