Paul McCartney To Write His First Musical

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Paul McCartney Is Scoring The Theater Production Of 'It's A Wonderful Life'
By Katrina Nattress
July 19, 2019

Paul McCartney is adding something else to his already impressive resume: he's scoring the stage musical adaptation of Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. The theater production is slated to premiere at the end of next year, though it has yet to be revealed if it will debut in London, New York, or elsewhere.

This will be the former Beatle's first musical — something he never saw himself working on, until he chatted with theater producer Bill Kenwright.

“Like many of these things, this all started with an email,” McCartney told The Guardian. “Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me, but Bill and I met up with [writer] Lee Hall and had a chat and I found myself thinking this could be interesting and fun.”

Hall, who is writing the script, is best known for writing Billy Elliot and this year's Elton Johnbiopic Rocketman.

Kenwright described working with McCartney as "a dream realized." He's praised the demos he's heard, declaring that they have “exceeded expectations … The songs take you somewhere you don’t expect to go. They sound simple – but it’s deceptive. That’s Paul’s genius.”

Photo: Getty Images

www.theguardian.com
Paul McCartney writes first musical, stage version of It's a Wonderful Life
Former Beatle is to write songs for Frank Capra’s ‘universal story’, working with Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliot
Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Thu 18 Jul 2019

Bedford Falls here we come … Paul McCartney, and James Stewart with Donna Reed in It’s A Wonderful Life. Composite: Getty Images/RKO Allstar

He has written perhaps the greatest canon of pop music, collaborated with everyone from Elvis Costello to Rihanna, and even soundtracked a video game, but at 77, Paul McCartney is ticking off another career first: writing a musical.

His first stage musical is to be an adaptation of Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life, and will open late in 2020. McCartney will write music and lyrics for the project. Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliot and screenwriter for the recent Elton John biopic Rocketman, is also writing lyrics, and the show’s book.

The musical was initiated by Bill Kenwright, the British theatre producer known for hit productions of Blood Brothers and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, as well as recent West End shows such as Heathers: the Musical. Kenwright acquired the rights to It’s a Wonderful Life and approached McCartney – a fellow Liverpudlian – with the idea three years ago.

“Like many of these things, this all started with an email,” McCartney said. “Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me, but Bill and I met up with Lee Hall and had a chat and I found myself thinking this could be interesting and fun.”

 ‘Comedy, pathos and rare humanity’ … It’s a Wonderful Life. Photograph: Allstar/RKO/Sportsphoto

McCartney described It’s A Wonderful Life as “a universal story we can all relate to”. Capra’s film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a selfless but embattled man contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve after he is framed for defrauding customers of the bank in his small American town. A guardian angel is dispatched from the heavens, and shows Bailey what the world would have been like without his lifetime of kind deeds, resulting in one of the most sentimental – and satisfying – endings in cinema.

The film was named the UK’s favourite Christmas film in two separate polls in 2018, by Radio Times and Odeon cinemas. Kenwright originally attempted to get the rights as a young man, but Capra turned him down in a handwritten letter.

Hall said It’s A Wonderful Life was his favourite film. “It has absolutely everything: comedy, pathos and a rare humanity which has touched generation after generation. Yet it just couldn’t be more relevant. To give it a life on the stage is an immense privilege, but to do it with Paul McCartney is off the scale. Paul’s wit, emotional honesty and melodic brilliance brings a whole new depth and breadth to the classic tale. I feel as if an angel must be looking after me.”

Kenwright, who worked with Hall to tour his 2007 play The Pitmen Painters, said working with McCartney was “a dream realised”, praising the musician’s “unique gift of melody and composition”.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life has absolutely everything’ … Lee Hall. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

McCartney already has form in writing seasonal hits – Wonderful Christmastime reached No 6 in 1979 in the UK, and he recorded his version of The Christmas Song, popularised by Nat King Cole, in 2012 – but hasn’t commented on the songs being written for It’s a Wonderful Life.

Kenwright has heard demo versions, and said they “exceeded expectations … The songs take you somewhere you don’t expect to go. They sound simple – but it’s deceptive. That’s Paul’s genius.”

While he still tours, playing solo songs as well as tracks by the Beatles and Wings, McCartney refuses mere nostalgia, and has steadily released new music over the past decade. In 2012, he performed live with the remaining members of Nirvana; in 2014, he collaborated with rapper Kanye West, and that year he also wrote a song for the video game Destiny.

On his most recent album, Egypt Station, in 2018, he collaborated with contemporary pop songwriters and producers Greg Kurstin and Ryan Tedder. It reached No 1 in the US – his first chart topper in the country for 36 years – and was described in the Guardian as “an affirmation of an enduring talent, the work of an artist who has no need to try and be anything other than what he is”.

He has dabbled in musical film, first starring in jukebox musical films with the Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour and the animated Yellow Submarine – which blended loose storylines with Beatles numbers.

In 1984, he wrote and starred as himself in Give My Regards to Broad Street, a film that paired new and old McCartney songs with a tale about a nefarious corporate takeover at a record company. It produced the hit single No More Lonely Nights, but the film itself was panned, with US critic Roger Ebert saying: “The usual thing is to see the movie and buy the soundtrack. With Give My Regards to Broad Street, I think you can safely skip the movie and proceed directly to the soundtrack.”

www.theguardian.com
Why Paul McCartney’s It’s a Wonderful Life musical is going to be terrible
From Asian Dub Foundation’s opera Gaddafi to the musical version of Carrie, past projects prove there are some things in music that just should not happen
Stuart Jeffries
Fri 19 Jul 2019



‘It’s a Wonderful Life may not be woeful, not least because McCartney has been working with Lee Hall, who wrote both the film Billy Elliott and its musical adaptation.’ Composite: Getty Images/RKO Allstar

It’s easy to be sceptical about Paul McCartney’s announcement that he’swritten a musical adaptation of the 1946 Frank Capra film It’s a Wonderful Life, but that won’t stop me. The nightmare scenario is that he has brought to the musical table not the genius of Hey Jude, Here, There and Everywhere and Norwegian Wood, but the creative acumen responsible for the Frog Chorus, Mull of Kintyre and, there’s no easy way to say this, Wonderful Christmastime – the very acumen that, on a personal note, in December 1979 made me contemplate disowning British citizenship and living in Vanuatu.

The worry is that, even if the musical proves as dismal as I fear, it will join that diverting listheaded Oh No! They Didn’t? Yes, I’m Afraid They Did!, that includes the sing-song version of Stephen King’s Carrie (closed after five performances), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (closed after three years without recouping its $75m outlay), Doctor Zhivago (closed after 23 performances) and Lestat, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s attempt to adapt Anne Rice’s vampire novels for the musical stage (closed after 39 performances). The good news for Sir Paul is that, say what you want about any of these flops, I’d rather spend an evening with any one of them than watch Phantom of the Opera again.

Writing musical theatre is hard and the cutting room of history is littered with unrealised projects. Whatever happened to Asian Dub Foundation’s opera Gaddafi? Like Larry David’s music-theatre depiction of Salman Rushdie’s years on the run, Fatwa!, it was never realised on stage, though in the latter case, at least, there were enough tunes teased on Curb Your Enthusiasm to warrant an off-Broadway run, though probably not one in Tehran. And even works that entered the repertory can still ruin the careers of talented creatives. Take the improbable subject of PLO terrorists holding a Jewish cruise party hostage. The 1991 opera The Death of Klinghoffer damaged the composer John Adams’ fortunes but obliterated those of the talented poet Alice Goodman, who never wrote for the stage again.

There are some things in music that should not happen: Jimmy Page playing classical guitar, the Police doing reggae, Chuck Berry’s My Ding-a-Ling, Robin Thicke. I’m not saying that Sir Paul’s first musical is of such all-round uselessness (that remains to be heard) but his 1993 Liverpool Oratorio, though a commendable monument to civic pride, was called “lacklustre” and “embarrassing” by the Guardian’s critic.

But what do critics, those creative eunuchs, know? The Only Fools and Horses musical is still on despite lukewarm reviews, and Hugh Jackman’s film The Greatest Showman has been a popular success after getting a critical shanking. What’s the moral? The paying public have no taste, obviously. And yet, they may compel me to put my scepticism where the sun doesn’t shine.


 ‘But what do critics, those creative eunuchs, know? The Only Fools and Horses musical is still on despite lukewarm reviews.’ Photograph: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for Neil Reading PR

It may not be woeful, not least because the ex-Beatle has been working with Lee Hall, who wrote both the film Billy Elliot and its musical adaptation. What’s more, the project comes with the imprimatur of fellow Liverpudlian and theatre producer Bill Kenwright. Maybe McCartney’s It’s a Wonderful Life and another looming musical by a Liverpudlian troubadour, Elvis Costello’s A Face in the Crowd (based on a story by On the Waterfront screenwriter Budd Schulberg), will be triumphs. Let both prove me wrong.

All that said, Sir Paul, if you still need a lyricist to tweak your musical, I’d be honoured to be the Bernie Taupin to your Sir Elton. Already I’ve sketched a few possible numbers. The evil Bedford Falls oligarch Mr Potter’s Nobody Likes Me I Don’t Care will have audiences hissing from the dress circle, especially if it’s sung, as I hope it will be, by the disgraced Radio 5 presenter and Millwall fan Danny Baker. I’ve given the love duet Buffalo Gals a grime makeover, which must be sung by Neneh Cherry and Stormzy. (That’s right, Neneh takes Donna Reed’s role and Stormzy James Stewart’s. Deal with it.) When Stormzy finds something in his pocket and raises it to the spotlight to sing the showstopper Zuzu’s Petals (“Oh, my darling daughter/ What can I say? I’ve been a total plonker”), you won’t know whether to laugh, cry or ask for your money back (good luck with the last of these).

McCartney rightly says that Capra’s film tells “a universal story we can all relate to” and that he was drawn to it as a result. While that explains why he didn’t adapt David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, it is not a good enough reason: if it were, he could just as easily have written Pingu: The Musical or an all singing, all dancing version of Murder on the Orient Express in which Donald Trump is stabbed by every passenger. Both of which I’d rather see.

While I applaud him for writing his first musical aged 77, and thereby showing a forbearance that the Who’s Pete Townshend would have done well to share (oh, come on: who listens to Tommy or Quadrophenia in 2019?), I wish he’d written something nearer to home. I would have loved a musical about the Beatles’ breakup, provisionally entitled How Do You Sleep?, or an adaptation of Terence Davies’ heartbreaker Distant Voices, Still Lives, set in the 50s Liverpool that McCartney knew before he became famous. Again, I’m quite prepared to sketch out a few numbers for either, Sir Paul, if you’d fancy.





www.PaulMcCartney.com

JUL

18

2019

Paul To Write His First Musical

Paul is writing his first musical – an adaptation of one of the world’s most loved films 

'It’s A Wonderful Life'

Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney 
Book and Lyrics by Lee Hall 
Produced by Bill Kenwright 

Today, Paul confirms a career first. He is working on a musical stage adaptation of one of the most iconic films in cinema history - Frank Capra’s 'It’s A Wonderful Life'. Based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s 'The Greatest Gift' the legendary movie was directed and produced by Frank Capra and released in 1946.

Paul has partnered with British theatre and film impresario Bill Kenwright who will produce the show. Bill originally approached Paul three years ago after acquiring the rights to the much-loved film that over seven decades since its release continues to be a Prime-Time must for television audiences all around the world. Paul and Bill enjoy a lifetime’s connection having both been born and raised in Liverpool, and both attended the Liverpool Institute High School (now LIPA - the acclaimed performing arts academy founded by Paul).  

In addition to writing the music Paul has been working on the lyrics with the Tony Award winning English screen and play writer Lee Hall, who is also responsible for the book of the musical.

As a child Paul inherited a love of Broadway and show tunes from his father Jim who would perform at home on the family piano on every occasion possible, and this influence would eventually permeate into Paul’s own song-writing and diverse compositions.

Speaking about this news Paul said:

“Like many of these things this all started with an email. Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me but Bill and I met up with Lee Hall and had a chat and I found myself thinking this could be interesting and fun.‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ is a universal story we can all relate to.”

Bill Kenwright said: 

“Working with Paul on “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a dream realised. To be honest I was hooked on first hearing him say “one/two/three/four” on the demo of the opening number! But since then it’s been an extraordinary journey - on every song I experience Paul’s unique gift of melody and composition. It’s musical theatre – but it’s always McCartney.

Paul, Lee, and I use the word “cherish” when we refer to our source material and that’s what we intend to do. Cherish Frank Capra’s creation.”

Lee Hall said:

“It’s A Wonderful Life is my favourite film. It has absolutely everything comedy, pathos and a rare humanity which has touched generation after generation. Yet it just couldn’t be more relevant. To give it a life on the stage is an immense privilege in itself but to do with Paul McCartney is off the scale. Paul’s wit, emotional honesty and melodic brilliance brings a whole new depth and breadth to the classic tale. I feel as if an angel must be looking after me.”

Paul, who has written some of the world’s most loved, celebrated and enduring music, has musically realised the emotional story of a man down on his luck George Bailey. Unaware of all the lives he has touched and how different his community would be had he never been born; George is close to suicide. However, he is saved by the intervention of a guardian angel – and, of course, as in all feel good, but resonant movies, George realises the true value of his life.  

Some 70 years since the release of the film the story still remains relevant today, probably even more so, as a reminder to cherish family, friends and the life you have, something Paul has always strived to do in his own life and work.

For Bill Kenwright, the production will be a lifetime’s ambition.  As a very young producer, Bill personally reached out to Frank Capra to see if he could get the rights to turn the film into a musical. Bill received a lovely handwritten letter by reply – but it contained a no! However, out of the blue, many decades later he was offered the rights when he was in the middle of another project with Paramount. It was a massive moment for the now hugely successful producer, and he dared to dream of involving his school friend on what would be Paul’s first major musical journey. They met, and amongst discussing all things Liverpool, school and rock and roll, they sort of agreed to take things further…

It wasn’t until two years later that Paul shared his first musical ideas with Bill. Bill recalls: “It was a Friday night and I was in the office. I suppose you could say it hadn’t been the best of weeks. No real progress on multitudinous film and theatre projects - and Everton had lost the previous Saturday. Out of the blue I got an email from Paul asking my thoughts on his first stab at an opening song. He wasn’t sure – but wanted to know what Lee and I thought of it? I played the demo. Lee and I were unanimous. Our hero was a musical theatre writer!”

Paul was in the middle of releasing his number one album Egypt Station in September 2018 as well as launching a global tour to support the album release, but in between touring and album commitments Paul found time to work with Lee Hall on more songs. Both here and in New York. 

Bill remembers another moment in January of this year the day after he’d watched Everton lose in an FA Cup match at Millwall. He was inconsolable - but Lee rang him from the airport after working with Paul in New York and brought over a further six tracks in demo form. His gloom started to lift…

 “They exceeded expectations for both of us. The songs take you somewhere you don’t expect to go. They sound simple – but it’s deceptive. That’s Paul’s genius. I don’t have to tell any lover of music how extraordinary he is – but he constantly takes my breath away. Since we worked together on the The Pitmen Painters Lee has been a special writer and person to me. And it’s a privilege to watch Paul and Lee create so vibrantly together.”

Having just completed the US leg of his current Freshen Up world tour in front of a sell-out audience at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium last weekend, Paul is still in the final stages of completing songs for his entry into musical theatre. 'It’s a Wonderful Life' is set to launch in late 2020.