2006 Tony Awards Q&A: David Zippel

By: Jun. 06, 2006
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Tony nominated for Best Original Score (alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber) for The Woman in White, has previously won a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, two Grammy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. He is one of the few contemporary lyricists to have achieved success on Broadway, in film and in pop music. Broadway credits include City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre. Films include Disney's Hercules, Disney's Mulan, The Swan Princess, Frankie and Johnny, The Wedding Planner. His songs appear on more than 25 million CDs, including recordings by Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Mel Torme, Ricky Martin, 98 Degrees, Cleo Laine, Linda Eder, Nancy LaMott, Sarah Brightman and Barbara Cook.

Where did you hear your Tony nomination news?

I was in bed at home, listening to the nominations.

Who was the first person that you called?

The first person was Carolee Carmello to tell her and to congratulate her on her nomination (for Lestat).

Have you spoken to Andrew Lloyd Webber as well?

Yes, I spoke to Andrew and he's delighted.

The show has unfortunately closed here on Broadway, but we hear that there's plans for a tour of England?

Yes, I think the plan is to bring it on a tour of the UK, and hopefully that version we'll then do something else with.

Are there changes planned for that version?

The last discussion was to do it without the chorus just with the principals, basically making it a smaller version of the show.

The show had a mixed reaction here on Broadway, how did you react to that?

It certainly was a polarized reception. There were people that were wildly enthusiastic and people that just dismissed it. I'm sorry that the people who didn't like it weren't more enthusiastic of course.

Because of that, does this year's nomination feel different from those that you've gotten in the past?

It was a very pleasant surprise and it's such a delight to be recognized. I think that it's always nice.

You're working on a number of projects at the moment – which is headed to New York next?

I'm always working on several projects at the same time and I have no idea which ones you're going to see first!

Princesses?
We don't have a theater yet for Princesses.

Pamela's First Musical?

Graciela and I have a workshop coming up at a theater out of town. I have no idea which one will come to New York first though.

What else?

Larry Gelbert and I have a couple of things that we're tossing around and that we're working on.

Pamela's First Musical sadly lost some of its collaborators, how has that changed the process?

It's sad that Graciela and I go to these meetings that used to have Cy Coleman and Wendy Wasserstein at them and now it's just the two of us. We're still having a great time, but it's – also the fact that they're not here is helping to fuel the fire for this project.

You mentioned that Princesses is looking for a theatre, are you still actively working on the show?

After Seattle, we did some work and then another reading here just to hear it ourselves and it went rather well so we're now just waiting.

Have you seen your fellow nominees this year yet?

I have enjoyed this season, but I've been in California a lot this season so I haven't seen everything. I really enjoyed The Color Purple, though and everything else I've seen recently I enjoyed.



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