A long-standing relationship with Skylight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Unger led to legendary lyricist Tim Rice, who has achieved rare EGOT status, making his first visit to Milwaukee.
Skylight will perform the Midwest premiere of Rice’s epic wartime musical From Here to Eternity. The new musical, with a powerhouse rock and blues score, continues its U.S. development with Skylight’s production. It will run April 12 through May 5 at Skylight Music Theatre (151 N. Broadway).
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“I came here to Milwaukee simply because Michael Unger asked me if he could do From Here to Eternity and I was delighted,” Rice said. “Secondly, he asked if I would come and do an evening where I chat and introduce singers who wade through my catalog. Michael said why don’t we do that so we can introduce you to Milwaukee in the flesh.”
The 79-year-old Rice, a native of England, spent the weekend in Milwaukee, much to the delight of Skylight Music Theatre and his most devout fans.
“I can’t possibly go to the all the shows we put on, but I thought why not,” he said. “I’ve known Michael for many years, and it seemed like a good idea and a nice thing to do.”
Rice said he and Unger met while working on King David, a modern oratorio from The Walt Disney Company.
An early spring snowstorm didn’t keep Rice from his appointed rounds on Friday, which included a press event at Skylight Music Theatre’s Third Ward space that featured Skylight vocalist Amanda Satchell singing I Don’t Know How to Love Him, one of Rice’s early musical masterpieces from the hit rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which featured the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rice’s lyrics.
Rice is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner, making him part of an exclusive club known as EGOTs, the acronym for those who have won each of the four awards. To date, only 19 people have achieved such status, including Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Jennifer Hudson, Rita Moreno, John Legend, Helen Hayes and Audrey Hepburn.
In addition to Jesus Christ Superstar, Rice’s musical theater credits include The Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Aida, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, along with many others.
At a sold-out event on Saturday night, Skylight hosted a night of storytelling with Rice and performances of many of his iconic songs.
Based on the acclaimed novel by James Jones, From Here to Eternity continues its U.S. run with Skylight’s production, which features a rock and blues score by Stuart Brayson and a book by Rice’s son, Donald, and Bill Oakes. Skylight is presenting the Midwest premiere of the epic wartime musical.
In an interview with Milwaukee Magazine, Rice reflected on his storied career and spoke in detail about “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” a torch song from Jesus Christ Superstar sung by Yvonne Elliman, who played the role of Mary Magdalene and performed on the 1970 concept album, was in the original Broadway cast (1971), and in the 1973 film. Her magnificent performance in the film led to her being nominated for a 1974 Golden Globe. In the rock opera, the character of Mary Magdalene is presented as bearing an unrequited love for the title character.
Elliman and Australian singer Helen Reddy both had concurrent hits with the ballad, which has also been covered by Petula Clark, Judy Collins, Sinead O’Connor, among many others.
“I must have been on some good pills that day when I wrote it,” Rice said. “It’s a good song. It’s a stand-back song, because it’s not a situation I’ve been in. I find that a lot of pop songs today all seem to be very inward looking. ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ is symptomatic of an earlier age. I’m baffled, I’m not quite sure what has happened to me. It’s not like she’s saying it’s somebody else’s fault. I’m standing back from the situation and imagining what might be happening to a young woman in that position. I think when you’re writing a song that isn’t personal to you, you can be more objective and say things that are more interesting than if you were writing it to get something out of your system.”
Rice also spoke about his hopes for From Here to Eternity and what can be expected from Skylight’s performance.
“It hasn’t been on Broadway, but it’s always gone down rather well,” Rice said. I think it’s a show that could be around for a while. Stuart is a great composer. There’s a great story. Donald has done a very good book. It all hangs together. I’m looking forward to seeing it. This will be a slightly different version. You can’t change the story line but there are different ways of doing it.”
Asked what he hopes the Milwaukee audiences will take away from the performance, Rice was quick to retort: “Other than a T-shirt and a program?”
He then shifted to a more serious explanation. “I’ve had a good time with it. It’s simple as that, really,” Rice said. “It’s a sad show in places but I hope there are some uplifting moments, too, and a bit of humor.”
From Here to Eternity is directed and choreographed by Brett Smock, with music direction by Logan Medland.
“This is an important moment in the show’s development,” Smock said. “We’re incorporating what we’ve learned in our previous incarnations here in the United States and London with exciting new elements that we’re introducing for the first time here in Milwaukee.”
Skylight will close its 64th season with the musical.
“Tim Rice is one of musical theater’s greatest lyricists and to have him at Skylight developing his latest musical has been a great honor,” Unger said. “From Here to Eternity has a gorgeous score and a powerful story and even though it is set during a specific and difficult time in our country’s past, it is as timely as today’s headlines.”
