Hugh Jackman departs from Broadway’s ‘Houdini’

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Hugh Jackman won’t be chained to the Broadway production of ‘Houdini’ after all. The actor cited scheduling issues for his departure.

Hugh Jackman is the latest high-profile name to escape from the Broadway production of “

Citing scheduling issues, the 45-year-old Tony Award winner announced late Monday that he’s exiting the production, which is being developed for the 2015-16 season, Variety first reported.

“I have greatly enjoyed the collaborative process on Houdini,” said Jackman in a release. “Ultimately, though, I wasn’t able to commit to the time this role will require. I have tremendous respect and admiration for the creative team and I wish everyone the best. I know they’re well on their way to making something extraordinary.”

“Newsroom” creator Aaron Sorkin had been attached to the production to write the book for the musical about the life of the famous escape artist from the early 1900s, but left earlier this year.

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The musical is based on the life of the famed escape arist Harry Houdini. Pictured here in a July 1912 photo showing off his handcuffs as he stands in a wooden box on a boat and prepares to be submerged in the East River before one of his trademark escapes.

Noted Hollywood composer Danny Elfman had previously dropped out several years ago, earlier in the project’s development.

“Houdini,” though, still retains several Broadway heavyweights, including producers Scott Sanders and David Rockwell and a score written by three-time Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz.

Jackman, who won the 2004 Tony Award for “Boy From Oz,” earned critical raves for his turn in the play “A Steady Rain” three years later and had a highly successful one-man Broadway show in 2011, told the Daily News in July that he always wanted to keep one foot on the Broadway stage even as movies seem to dominate his dance card.

“I’ve always loved the different aspects of the business and trying to do different things,” the Australian-born New Yorker said at the time.

“I loved doing musicals, and I loved doing movies and something like hosting the Oscars. I’m a big believer in saying yes to things.”