REBECCA: Author, Lyricist And Translator Michael Kunze Opens Website To Questions

Jonathon Collis

While most English musical fans are unaware of Michael Kunze, his name is synonymous with German language musicals. His first show, Elisabeth, opened in 1992 with regular performances around Europe and Japan, and the official DVD release from the 2003 Vienna revival went multi-platinum upon release. Since then, Kunze has refined what he calls the "drama musical" format, combining cinematic storytelling with epic characters and lush scores. His other works include Mozart!, Tanz der Vampire (infamously reworked by others as Dance of the Vampires on Broadway), Marie Antoinette, and Rebecca, which is soon to be workshopped in English, starring Sierra Boggess, Brent Barrett and Pia Douwes.

Known for being receptive and conversational with his fans, Dr. Kunze has recently redesigned his website, opening a new section where fans can submit up to a total of 2000 questions about his original work, translations (including the German versions of Wicked and The Lion King), and personal background and opinions. Currently, all of the questions and answers are in German.

Answering the questions posed so far, Dr. Kunze has proven as straightforward as always in interviews, such as when discussing his feelings towards the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber: "I find the story [of Starlight Express] childish and the music uneven." At the same time, Jesus Christ Superstar "left me fascinated by the possibilities [to integrate pop music into musicals]". As a former lyricist for ABBA, he reveals that he refused to translate the book for Mamma Mia because "I wanted to focus on writing my own musicals, rather than working on another adaptation. However, Björn Ulvaeus asked me if I'd write the lyrics at the very least," which he did as a "personal favour."

Of course, fans have been equally eager to ask the author about his own works, from casting decisions - Kunze confirms that Pia Douwes was unable to perform in the Viennese premiere of Rebecca due to contractual obligations - to clarifying textual differences amongst varying productions and his penchant for revisionism: when asked why only the Hamburg production of Tanz der Vampire has a libretto when the prior editions were different, Kunze comments that "the changes were not so severe that a new libretto needed to be published." He leaves the possibility open, however, for a future edition to be released - this seems likely due to extensive changes for the Berlin production being put into the upcoming Stuttgart and Vienna revivals. Likewise, a film of Tanz is "being discussed." Kunze's work is also set to premiere in Madrid in 2010, but he is yet to reveal which show.

Fans wishing to ask Dr. Kunze questions of their own may do so in either German or English.