The 'Wolverine' actor has inked a deal to portray the legendary escapologist in 'Houdini', a musical play directed by Tony winner Jack O'Brien and written by Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin.
- January 5, 2012
AceShowbiz -
Hugh Jackman has scored another Broadway stint. The "Real Steel" actor has sealed a deal to play the late escape master Harry Houdini in "Houdini" musical play, the producers of the show announced on Wednesday, January 4. The Australian actor has committed to starring in the play for the 2013-2014 season.
"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 shared on being tapped to play the legendary escapologist. "I am thrilled to be collaborating with this collection of artists who are all at the top of their game."
The musical will also see Tony-winning director Jack O'Brien ("Hairspray") as the helmer and veteran musical theater lyricist/composer Stephen Schwartz as the composer. Meanwhile, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network") is set to pen the script for the play, which will mark his librettist debut.
Speaking on the details of "Houdini", Sorkin said, "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 communicated with the dead."
Jackman, who won Tony Award in 2004 for his role in "The Boy From Oz", has just finished a 10-week run of his one-man Broadway show called "Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway" on January 1. The show raked in more than $14 million and held the record for 10 of the 11 highest grossing weeks in the history of Broadhurst Theater.
