The Idea Behind SCHIKANEDER

Winner of three Oscars, four Grammies and a Golden Globe

Composer and/or lyricist for hit musicals like GODSPELL, PIPPIN and the current  Broadway smash, WICKED

Has written lyrics for various films including Disney’s ENCHANTED, POCAHONTAS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (with Alan Menken) and DreamWorks’ THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (music & song lyrics)

Currently President of the prestigious Dramatists’ Guild. Has been inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was recently honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“For some years now Christian Struppeck and I have been planning to bring a brand new drama to the stage. We found the perfect opportunity in the idea of creating a musical about the tempestuous relationship between Emanuel and Eleonore Schikaneder, and the way this contributed to the creation of a masterpiece, a piece of Austrian history that will premiere, appropriately enough, in Austria.”

Director of premiere productions of

CATS, LES MISÉRABLES, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, CHESS, ASPECTS OF LOVE and SUNSET BOULEVARD

Triple Tony Award winner in the category Best Director

Former Artistic Director of Great Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre

Has directed musicals, opera and straight drama as well as films. An acknowledged expert on Shakespeare, he is considered one of the world’s most versatile and successful directors

 “Several years ago I had the privilege of working with Stephen Schwartz on the London production of his wonderful musical THE BAKER’S WIFE.  For this reason, I find it as exciting for me personally to be directing a new Stephen Schwartz musical in Vienna as it is appropriate that that musical is set in Vienna. It is also a great pleasure to be in constant artistic dialogue with Christian Struppeck, so I’m sure you’ll understand why I am looking forward to the rehearsals so much.”

Previously Artistic Director and Head of the Creative Department of Stage Entertainment Deutschland.

Artistically responsible for over 30 major productions, including Mamma Mia!, Cats, Elisabeth, THE Phantom OF THE OperA, Wicked, and many others

Co-author and director of the Udo Jürgens Musical
ICH WAR NOCH NIEMALS IN NEW YORK (NEVER IN NEW YORK). In collaboration with Andreas Gergen, has directed more than 40 musicals und operettas

Author of the hit musicals THE VISIT and DÄLLEBACH Kari

Has also written new versions of numerous operettas.

“Back-stage drama has always exerted a fascination and audiences love to peek behind the scenes. Nowadays Mozart and ‘The Magic Flute’ quite rightly occupy an almost ‘sacred’ pedestal. I was very taken by the idea of showing that even this pedestal rests on an all-too-human foundation, and when I found out that it involved such a uniquely witty yet moving love story, I found the subject matter irresistible. I mulled it over for a long time, but it wasn’t until top class artists like Stephen Schwartz and Trevor Nunn were so captivated by the story that they indicated their interest in working on it that the whole thing began to take shape for me.”

Orchestrator of legendary musicals like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Starlight Express, Song & Dance, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, By Jeeves, Whistle Down the Wind and The Beautiful Game

Other work includes: ABBACADABRA, Jeeves, Shogun the Musical (in New York), Children of Eden and The Baker’s Wife

Musician, arranger and conductor for stars like Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, Sheena Easton and Marilyn Horne, among others

Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Orchestration
(1988 for THE Phantom OF THE OPERA)

Nominated for Tony and Olivier Awards

Awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1999

Worked as theatre choreographer on outstanding musicals like

MAMMA MIA!, SISTER ACT, BOMBAY DREAMS, SONG & DANCE and WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, as well as new productions of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS

Film work includes MAMMA MIA!, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, and the James Bond film NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN

Tony and Olivier Award winner

Critically and popularly acclaimed designer

Honorary Member of the University of Arts, London since 2014

Has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse, the Royal Opera House, Opera North and the Royal Ballet, among others

Work includes: Assassins, Oliver! and King Lear (directed by Sam Mendes), My Fair Lady and OKLAHOMA! (directed by Trevor Nunn), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (directed by Adrian Noble (London Palladium)), Sweeney Todd and Gypsy (directed by Jonathan Kent)

Various nominations for Tony and Olivier Awards

2004 Olivier Award winner for CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Has worked at: Glyndebourne Opera House, the English National Opera, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, the National Theatre, the English National Ballet, the Almeida Theatre and the Northern Ballet Theatre

Work includes opera, ballet, musical and straight theatre productions like MY NIGHT WITH REG (directed by Robert Hastie), FIDELIO, BETROTHAL IN A MONASTERY (directed by Martin Duncan), THE SNOW QUEEN (directed by Michael Corder for the Vienna National Ballet and the Czech National Ballet), TALKING HEADS (directed by Sarah Esdaile) and HAMLET (directed by Stephen Langridge)

Worked with SCHIKANEDER director Trevor Nunn on THE WARS OF ROSES trilogy at the Rose Theatre, Kingston