Earlier this week, songwriter/composer Jim Steinman passed away at age 73. While perhaps best known as the goth-metal classicist behind "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," "It's All Coming Back," and Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album, Steinman also spent 4 years working on an as-yet-unproduced Batman musical — the demos of which can still be found online.
According to the Jim Steinman Fandom Wiki (with no original source cited):
David Ives was due to write the book, Steinman would of course contribute music and lyrics, and Tim Burton was reportedly chosen to direct, though he later downplayed his actual knowledge of the project.
An initial opening date was announced in 2001 when Steinman and Ives reportedly turned in a completed version to Warner Bros., only to fall apart in the mix. After the announcement of Burton's alleged hiring in 2002 (and a new claim from Steinman that work on the show was now only "70% done"), a new time-table was announced, with an out-of-town tryout opening in 2004 and a Broadway opening set for 2005. However, the project fell through before production was completed.
Meat Loaf would later release a version of a song from the musical, "In The Land Of The Pig, The Butcher Is King," on his 2006 album Bat Out Of Hell III. But you can listen through a playlist of demos above, which include some savvy Catwoman ballads and upbeat clown-core romp by the Joker titled "Wonderful Toys."
Steinman also did a 4-hour interview about the show, which you can find on his personal website.
Batman The Musical [JimSteinman.com]
Bat Stuck In Hell: Songs From the Lost Batman Musical
Read More: Bat Stuck In Hell: Songs From the Lost Batman Musical [Jon Gutierrez / Comics Alliance]
