Interview: Husbands of the Stage Musical ‘The First Wives Club’

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StarExecutive Producer Elizabeth Williams, Producer Paul Lambert of “First Wives Club The Musical”

Elizabeth Williams, Executive Producer of ‘First Wives Club,” is practically a Broadway legend. After a career in academia, she cut her teeth in Broadway productions with “The Secret Garden” musical in 1991. After that, she has produced or executive produced over a dozen straight dramas, comedies, original musicals and revivals. “First Wives Club” is her latest production.

Paul Lambert is part of a theater partnership with Jonas Neilson, as they were the producers of the initial 2009 version of “First Wives Club The Musical.” They are now part of the re-engineering of the play, with a new book by famed TV writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and music/lyrics by the famed songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the origin of you and Jonas Neilson as a production team. How did you meet, what were the circumstances of that meeting, and how did it evolve in to a partnership?

Paul Lambert: Jonas was in film and television when I met him, and I was in marketing and advertising. Jonas was in New York City doing an independent film, and we met through mutual friends. We just started talking about the play, which I was just getting involved in. and I told him about Holland-Dozier-Holland being involved. He liked the idea, and had never done theater before. We combined his connections and credentials with my lack of experience [laughs] and we’ve been together since day one.

Paul Lambert, Elizabeth Williams
Paul Lambert, Elizabeth Williams in Chicago for ‘First Wives Club’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Ms. Williams, you’ve produced seemingly all genre of theater - comedy, drama and musical. What are the challenges that are unique in producing a musical that makes it either easier than the other genres or most difficult?

Elizabeth Williams: Traditionally, none of the new productions are easy, but musicals are particular complex – there are just so many creatives involved. For ‘First Wives Club,’ we have a great director in Simon Phillips, and he has a great vision to guide the ship, and we’re well launched. Musicals are usually regarded as the most difficult genre to get right, it’s a miracle when they work.

HollywoodChicago.com: What stage experience when you were younger, either in the audience or working on the stage, convinced you that this would be your career?

Williams: I was an academic when I started out, teaching archeology at Berkley, UCLA and Columbia. But theater was my love, and I was always a happy audience participant. As a young girl, my parents would take me to Broadway shows. As for those shows that would have influence, I remember ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Cabaret’ – even though I was a bit too young for it.

HollywoodChicago.com: Paul, what ideas did you bring in that you feel helped the transition from the first 2009 version of this musical to the new version today?

Lambert: It’s the music obviously, but when Jonas and I talked to the original film producer Sherry Lansing, she told us they went through nine scripts until they got it right. It ended up a comedy, with a bit of a wink, and for a motion picture that works. When you come to theater, it’s more about exploring emotions, and cheating husbands combined with divorce has an affect in general on people’s lives. So those songs, those ballads, really give us an opportunity to build and expand on the film.

When Elizabeth brought in [book writer] Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, we were able to benefit from her connection the film, her love for these types of characters and her ear for comedy. She was the solution for bringing it together. I think the this musical version of the original story has become more real, emotional and funny. In the audience experience, they won’t be prepared on how authentic this really becomes and how it speaks to women.

‘First Wives Club, The Musical’ runs Tuesdays through Friday at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm and 7:30pm – through March 29th, 2015, at Ford Center Oriental Theare, 24 W. Randolph in Chicago. Click here for more information, blackout dates and to purchase tickets. Featuring Faith Prince, Christine Sherrill, Carmen Cusack, Seán Murphy Cullen, Gregg Edelman and Mike McGowan. Book by Linda Bloodworth-Thomasen. Music and Lyrics by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. Directed by Simon Phillips.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Writer, Editorial Coordinator
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2015 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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