Houdini, that early 20th-century trickster, is coming to Broadway thanks to a whole cast of New York characters. Kurt Andersen, novelist and founder of Spy magazine; Danny Elfman, former Oingo Boingo frontman and composer for The Simpsons and numerous Tim Burton films; and David Rockwell, architect and scenic designer for Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Legally Blonde, are all involved. Mr. Elfman will write the music, of course, with lyrics by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). Mr. Andersen will write the plot, based on Houdini's biography, and Jack O’Brien will direct. Scott Sanders (The Color Purple) and Mr. Rockwell produce, according to Variety.  read more »

Danny Elfman, the film composer who has written endearingly creepy scores for The Simpsons and dozens of Tim Burton movies like Edward Scissorhands (and whom some of us incidentally still think of as the ringleader of 1980's new-wave band Oingo Boingo), has been commissioned write for a ballet in production at the American Ballet Theatre.

The New York Sun reports:

American Ballet Theatre's spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House will include a new work by choreographer Twyla Tharp, the company announced yesterday. Ms. Tharp has choreographed 15 pieces for ABT. Her most recent ballet for the company, "The Brahms-Haydn Variations," was in 2000.

Ms. Tharp's new ballet, which will receive its world premiere on June 3, will be set to a commissioned score by Danny Elfman, known primarily for his compositions for film and television, including scores for "Chicago," "Edward Scissorhands," and "The Simpsons." It will mark Mr. Elfman's first composition for ballet.