Not many are aware that Warner Bros. Theater Ventures, a new wing of one of the most powerful entertainment-forces in the world, announced BATMAN: THE MUSICAL in 1998. Believe it or not, it's true...
JIM STEINMAN was tapped to compose, alongside DAVID IVES who would write the book ("the spoken parts"). The World Premiere was announced for Broadway 2001 but did not materialize.
In 2002, in the lead-up to the Broadway premiere of Jim Steinman's "Dance Of The Vampires" (Minskoff Theatre) a breakthrough was reached. TIM BURTON, director of the original "Batman" and "Batman Returns", would direct the musical for a 2004 out-of-town tryout and a 2005 Broadway production.
Warner Bros. likely pursued the concept because of Disney's success with "Beauty And The Beast", "The Lion King" and "Aida", produced by Disney Theatricals. In the light of this, perhaps they felt they'd top the bill with a stage-show of one of the most high-riding franchises ever. In this instance, who better to select than composer Jim Steinman who produced rock's own franchise with "Bat Out Of Hell", meanwhile collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Webber on "Whistle Down The Wind", spawning the greatest selling single from a musical ever, and "Tanz Der Vampire", directed by Roman Polanski, a European phenomenon.
Actually, if one is aware of Steinman's output it's almost exciting to picture his work here. Steinman has composed some of the darkest melodramatic hits of rock. "Bat Out Of Hell" and "Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell", sung by Meat Loaf, are some of the greatest classic albums, followed by hits "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero", immortalized by Bonnie Tyler, and "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" with Celine Dion. Jim's work is so vivid and eerily suitable to equally thrilling matter as a vengeful crusader, the clown-prince of crime and pop-culture's feline goddess!
Unfortunately, the Broadway premiere of "Dance Of The Vampires", starring Michael Crawford, ended on a lesser note. It is, to date, the most expensive loser in Broadway history. Following these events, WB cancelled BATMAN and began work on "Lestat", a new musical by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, no less.
"Lestat" premiered at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, 2004. It was to be Warner Bros. dazzling foray into theatre (an honour intended for BATMAN). Unfortunately, critics didn't see eye-to-eye. Following harsh out-of-town reviews, the Broadway engagement ended quicker than "Vampires". As Penguin would say, "Tragic irony? Or poetic justice?"
Composer Jim Steinman continues to write, although financially he probably doesn't need to, working on his latest "Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical" bound for London 2008. This show is predicted to be a blazing spectacular featuring startling effects that have never been witnessed in a conventional musical. During pre-production, Steinman (famously!) shared many of the BATMAN demos with his fans. Almost instantly, media presumed the show was happening. This is not the case (as far as we know.)
Of the numbers that have been presented; "Gotham City / The Graveyard Shift", "In The Land Of The Pig, The Butcher Is King", "Not Allowed To Love", "Wonderful Toys", "I Need All The Love I Can Get" and "We're Still The Children We Once Were", it remains to be seen whether BATMAN will be produced. This website stands not only in memorial to what could have been a thrilling challenge but as a plea to attempt it again. Warner Bros. have shown they have the power, and the dough, and Steinman has a record that "totally eclipses" any failure. It is a worthy cause, Mr. Maday (president of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures) and you should pursue it.
1 comment:
Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh. So okay, this guy likes musicals and he likes Batman, I guess that's legit. But a Batman musical? HOW does that work? I feel like the musical-making hands that reach out for Batman should be roundly rapped with a cane.
Isn't there a Spiderman musical being discussed, too?
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