Shows

The Hudsucker Proxy

In 2001, Stephen and Glenn Slater acquired the rights to a little-known movie called The Hudsucker Proxy, written by Ethan and Joel Coen. Back then, the Coen Brothers were still two offbeat Hollywood writers with a quirky, comedic sensibility and fantastic cinematic style who had yet to achieve the Academy Award winning fame that they have these days. A critic’s favorite with great performances from Tim Robbins as the hapless hero Norville Barnes, Paul Newman as the evil Number 2, Sid Mussberger, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as the Hepburn-like tough reporter Amy Archer, Glenn and Steve instantly recognized the movie’s potential as a wonderful musical and grabbed the opportunity to secure the rights and begin work on it.

The Story: New York City, 1958. Fresh off the bus from Muncie, Indiana, Norville Barnes is full of hope and idealism as he sets off to discover fame and corporate success, armed with a “Big Idea” — a contraption that swivels by moving your hips, and could be huge if someone would believe in this — since it is, “you know… for kids!” Norville’s buffoonery makes him the chump that Sid Mussberger has been looking for to replace the CEO, Waring Hudsucker or “Hud,” who recently jumped to his death from the 44th floor of the Hudsucker Building. Sid and the Board appoint Norville, fresh from the mailroom into the top post as CEO of the Hudsucker Corporation in order to depress the company stock, buy it back cheap, depose Norville, and make Sid and the Board filthy rich. Enter Amy Archer, crack news reporter for the Daily Argus. She begins to smell a rat and clamours to scoop the unfolding story at the Hudsucker Corporation by posing as Norville’s secretary. At first cynical and laughing him off, she begins to fall in love with this hopelessly naive, optimistic, kind and earnest person that she knows Norville to be. Things go terribly wrong when Norville’s Big Idea turns out to be no less than The Hula Hoop!

The Hula Hoop takes off like wild fire and makes him the “Idea Man” of the Century and the Hudsucker Corporation a fabulous success. Sid re-doubles his efforts to take Norville down and take control of the company. At the peak of his dizzying success, Norville discovers Amy’s betrayal, that she was spying on him to get a story, and is devastated. Alone, betrayed by Amy, Sid, the Board, angry shareholders, his dreams of fame and success come crashing down. He climbs to the 44th floor of the Hudsucker Building and jumps. In mid-fall, our American Fairy Tale ends happily with Hud himself, now an angel, swooping down at the last moment to rescue Norville to give him a second chance at happiness and love and a more sober understanding of what success really means.

The Hudsucker Proxy was announced for the LaJolla Playhouse in 2009, but the financial crisis cancelled plans for a pre-Broadway try-out there. We have put future plans for the show on hold for the time being. We’re still hoping to see the show get a new life with new producers and get it back on track. Please click over to the media page to hear a few sample tracks and fingers crossed!