Burt Bacharach Helped Mike Myers Pen The Soundtrack For An Austin Powers Musical That Never Saw The Stage
I'll let you in on a weird secret: when I was a kid, one of the prettiest songs I'd ever heard didn't come from a classical recording or a popular radio ballad, but from an Austin Powers movie. Specifically, it was Mike Myers' first turn as the Bond-parodying spy in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" that left me teary, with a surprisingly sweet scene that saw Austin romancing his gal, Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley), while Burt Bacharach crooned in the background. Bacharach's presence in the Austin Powers films, first playing piano and singing "What the World Needs Now," and later accompanying Elvis Costello in a rendition of "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," was an inexplicable sort of movie magic. The late composer and pianist didn't fit into the otherwise farcical comedy, but he also elevated it into something classic.
The mix of genuine romance and style and corny, bawdy humor that made up "Austin Powers" feels like a strange relic of a bygone era, but Myers actually attempted to capture it one more time with an "Austin Powers" musical that never actually came to fruition. Before his passing this week at the age of 94, Bacharach was set to release a four-CD box set with Costello featuring music spanning the pair's three-decade collaborative career. According to Rolling Stone the set, which is due out March 3, includes a song from the never-performed "Austin Powers" musical that the pair worked with Myers on a decade ago.
A new box set features a song from the never-made musical
It sounds like the project never got particularly far, as Rolling Stone characterizes their recording of the song as being done during "some exploratory sessions" for the musical. But back in 2011, an "Austin Powers" musical was a real possibility, and Bacharach and Costello were reportedly on board to craft the soundtrack. In fact, had the "Austin Powers" musical ever made it to the stage, its behind-the-scenes lineup indicates that it would've been pretty fantastic despite sounding wacky on paper. As rreported at the time, not only did the project have the comedic genius of Myers coupled with the musical genius of Costello and Bacharach: it also had "The Book of Mormon" co-director Casey Nicholaw and Tony and Emmy-winning producer Colin Callender attached.
Needless to say, an "Austin Powers" musical never took Broadway by storm. After initial reports from 2011 indicated that Myers was penning the story for the production that was intended as a prequel about Austin's early days, few updates on the project were ever given. In 2016, trilogy director Jay Roach told Forbes there was still hope for more "Austin Powers," though it was unclear exactly what form it would take. "We are always talking about how we can keep it going," he said. "We have talked about different ways for Austin Powers to come back but we've never really clicked on anything that just seemed like it absolutely had to be done." On his short list of possible options? A TV show, an animated film, or, yes, a Broadway musical. "There were plans for that at one time so you never know," Roach told Forbes.
Bacharach's performances lent the parody series style and heart
Sadly, we may never get the musical delight (or disaster, it's hard to guess) that could've been the "Austin Powers" musical, at least not with Bacharach behind the piano. But fans of the composer and musician who also lent his musical stylings to the 1967 Bond spoof "Casino Royale" still have plenty of classical "Austin Powers" musical moments to treasure.
From Bacharach singing "What the world needs now/is love, sweet love" while Austin and Vanessa share a bus-top date, to his piano accompaniment alongside Costello in the film's sequel, to the soon-to-be-released song from the musical that never came to be, the musician remains the classiest part of one of the most outrageous comedy franchises around. And, yes, over twenty years later his beautiful cameo in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" still gives me the sniffles.