Lyricist Rice plots Machiavelli musical

Published Thursday 3 July 2008 at 15:40 by Matthew Hemley

Tim Rice has revealed he is working on a musical based on the life of the infamous Italian statesman and writer Niccolo Machiavelli.

The lyricist, famous for collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Webber on shows such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita, said he had finished a script for the production, but had not yet lined up a composer to put music to his words.

However, Rice ruled out Lloyd Webber, saying he was too busy with other projects.

“I have just written a script for a new show based on the life of Machiavelli, which I hope will work. I have not decided who will do the music yet, but it won’t be Andrew.”

He joked: “He is doing Phantom Two and Phantom Three and Phantom Four.”

Machiavelli’s most famous work, The Prince, gave rise to the term Machiavellian, meaning cunning or unscrupulous.

Speaking to The Stage, Rice also said he had just finished work on songs for a new film based on Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, which he said would be released next year.

The film stars Nathan Lane and John Turturro.