Music & Lyrics by Mark Ryan
Narrated by Ray Winstone
Co-Produced & Arranged by Robb Vallier
Featuring performances by: Jenn Korbee, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Katie Boeck
Additional music by Greg Watkins
Wuthering Heights is an evolving work and I'm very happy to have the opportunity to present this musical adaptation of Emily Bronte's haunting and powerful novel to an audience for the first time.
The idea to write a "concept album" based on the story came to me during recording sessions with Greg Watkins in 1988. The first song I wrote was Heathcliff's Prayer and the rest followed. After writing to The Bronte Society to make sure there no copyright restrictions regarding musical adaptations, some 18 songs were written and will all eventually be included in this production.
Obviously, with much of my career spent in projects like Evita and The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, musical theater has always been a major part of my life. But after touring with Eric Idle and performing in 1776 here in Los Angeles, musical projects were put on the back burner while film, TV and Graphic Novel commitments took priority. But after work on Transformers and questions regarding projects including "giant singing alien robots" I decided it was time to dust off the old vocal cords and return to my original musical roots! This production is the result.
Robb Vallier was recommended by John DuPrez, whom I worked with while touring with Eric Idle in the US. John is a gifted and respected musician and co-wrote Spamalot, which we performed live at Eric's house for director Mike Nichols. Robb also worked on Spamalot and has brought his rare musical energy and technical expertise to the project and produced a distinctive, timeless and yet contemporary musical texture to the songs. I enjoy our collaboration immensely as we both have an ironic and self-deprecating sense of humor! Thanks again for the unremitting energy, enthusiasm creative production skills and considerable musical talent.
I'd also sincerely like to thank Jenn Korbee, Jessica Keenan Wynn and Katie Boeck for their enthusiasm, patience and commitment to the project. I feel very lucky to have found these extremely talented artists and I'm sure all three ladies are going to have long and bright futures in the entertainment industry.
My sincere gratitude also goes to my old mate Ray Winstone for lending his gravely and gritty tones as Lockwood and applying his world class acting talent, narrating Emily Bronte's powerful prose between the songs. Ray's chilling narration really sends a shiver up the spine as Catherine's ghostly apparition grabs his hand in the casement window scene. Truly gothic stuff!
So! Thanks for listening and now just let your mind wander across those stark and lonely Yorkshire moors. Listen to the wind, breathing through the grass like whispering ghosts, as they wander abroad under that benign sky...
