Hugh Jackman Will Be Houdini in New Broadway Musical During 2013-2014 Season

By Adam Hetrick
04 Jan 2012

Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman will bring his magic back to Broadway during the 2013-2014 season in the new Stephen Schwartz-Aaron Sorkin musical Houdini.

Jackman previously disclosed news of the project to Playbill.com in November at the opening night of his record-breaking one-man show, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. He will star in the title role.

Tony winners Scott Sanders and David Rockwell produce the musical about the life of the turn-of-the-century illusionist, which will have a score by Academy Award-winning composer-lyricist Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, "Pocahontas") and a book by Academy Award winner Sorkin ("A Few Good Men," "The Newsroom," The Farnsworth Invention).

Tony-winning Hairspray and Coast of Utopia director Jack O'Brien will stage Houdini. Co-producer Rockwell (Hairspray, The Normal Heart) will also render scenic design for the musical. Kurt Andersen, who has been developing the musical over the last several seasons, will remain on as a creative consultant.

According to a statement from Sorkin, "Rather than being a biography, Houdini – told in a contemporary tone – tells the story of an epic battle that took place between the world's greatest illusionist and a trio of women, known as 'Spiritualists,' who convinced millions of people, including the editors of Scientific American and The New York Times, that they could communicate with the dead."

"I have been deeply fascinated by the life of Harry Houdini since I was young, and in many ways I’ve been preparing for this role my whole life," Jackman added in a statement. "I am thrilled to be collaborating with this collection of artists who are all at the top of their game."