Houdini Broadway musical update

Looks like the Houdini Broadway musical is still powering forward. Tony award winning director Jack O’Brien recently spoke to Broadway.com about the new musical score by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz.

"The two ballads Stephen has written, one that closes Act I and one that closes the show, are among the greatest things he's ever written," says O’Brien. "Hugh [Jackman] just kills with them. It's vintage Schwartz, it's gorgeous.”

According to O'Brien, the show's creative team are "working our butts off". A read-through of the first act is scheduled for January. Hugh Jackman will then take a break to film the police drama Prisoners, then reconvene on Houdini in March and April.

Meanwhile, the website Gothum has profiled Houdini producer and set designer, David Rockwell.

"It connected a few interesting dots for me," says Rockwell about the production. "As a child, I was interested in magic, and I know a lot of magicians. I didn’t see it as producing; I saw it as 'This is fun. Let’s all get together and put on a show.'"

Houdini is aiming to open on Broadway during the 2013-14 season.

David Rockwell working on a model for the Houdini set.