Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway for the 2013-14 season in "Houdini," a musical based on the life of legendary magician Harry Houdini.
A Tony Award winner for playing Peter Allen on Broadway in "The Boy From Oz," and an Emmy winner for hosting the Tony telecast, Jackman wrapped a two-month run on the Great White Way in his one-man show "Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway" on Jan. 1.
Oscar and Emmy Award winner Aaron Sorkin makes his Broadway debut as librettist for "Houdini," which will also include music and lyrics from Oscar and Grammy winner Stephen Schwartz.
Oscar and Emmy Award winner Aaron Sorkin makes his Broadway debut as librettist with the production, which will also include music and lyrics from Oscar and Grammy winner Stephen Schwartz.
Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien will direct the musical, which will be produced by Scott Sanders and David Rockwell, who will also design the play's sets.
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Jackman, who played a magician in "The Prestige" and will play P.T. Barnum in the 2013 drama "The Greatest Showman on Earth," said, "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. I am thrilled to be collaborating with this collection of artists who are all at the top of their game."
Jackman's "Back on Broadway" earned $14,638,428 and holds the record for 10 of the 11 top grossing weeks in history at the Broadhurst Theater, according to the Associated Press. He also co-starred with Daniel Craig on Broadway in "A Steady Rain" in 2009.
Added Sorkin, who wrote the plays "A Few Good Men" and "The Farnsworth Invention," "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.
"The chance to collaborate with Stephen Schwartz, Jack O'Brien and Hugh Jackman on a new Broadway musical is a huge gift."