Tom Waits Contributes Songs to Musical Rendition of Shakespeare's Richard III

Tom Waits may be known just as well for his thespian talents as for his wonderfully off-beat music. The latest of his myriad roles was a convincing turn as the devil in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus this year, and word has it he’s working on a stage production with directors Robert Wilson and Martin McDonagh, the latter of which won an Academy Award for his In Bruges. September will find Waits earning even more stage cred, this time in the form of the songs he’s providing for a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III, which will be staged by Dutch theater group Orkater (via Pitchfork).

Waits and his wife/writing partner Kathleen Brennan will lend a handful of tunes to Orkater to soundtrack the story of a murderous, power-hungry English royal. “Just like Shakespeare did, Waits and Brennan incorporate poetry, provocation, seduction and irony in their songs,” says Orkater music director Vincent van Warmerdam. “Their music illustrates, mirrors and strengthens Richard’s character.”

Among the songs being incorporated into the performance are "Misery Is The River Of The World”, “God’s Away On Business”, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”, “I’ll Shoot The Moon”, “Underground” and “The Part You Throw Away”. The show will be performed in Amsterdamn Sept. 22 through Oct. 12. Tickets are available here.

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