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 THE TUNESMITHS
From South Park and Hairspray to Ugly Betty and the upcoming Catch Me if You Can, this couple writes the songs that make the whole world sing
"I always thought of myself as second banana,” jokes composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman, with his partner Scott Wittman laughing in the background.
Second bananas they certainly aren’t. Fruity and deliciously talented they are. During a break from rehearsals for a pair of overseas premieres of their Tony-winning musical Hairspray, the two chat about their astonishingly busy year of movie and stage work, and their much-deserved place in the spotlight.
“It’s been a lovely year for us,” director/lyricist/writer Wittman says. “Our next musical, Catch Me If You Can, is getting on its feet. Most of the team involved—everyone—has just been so busy that we had to wait for everyone’s schedule to clear up. And if all goes as scheduled, we will be on Broadway next season.”
As Victoria Beckham might say, the duo’s year has been “major.” They opened the big screen version of Hairspray and wrote an additional cache of songs for the film. While Shaiman was feted as a “Billion Dollar Composer” by industry trade magazine Variety for his impressive work in film and television, Wittman directed Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me on Broadway. The two also have workshopped the stage version of the erstwhile Tom Hanks/Leonardo DiCaprio starrer Catch Me If You Can, and Shaiman composed the original score for the upcoming Rob Reiner film The Bucket List.
As if that’s not enough, the twosome is tuning up for the second season of ABC’s Emmy-award-winning Ugly Betty.
“We’re going to finish the year by writing a musical episode for Ugly Betty,” Shaiman says. He then adds with a laugh, “It’s great we’re talking to a gay magazine, because where else can you say, ‘How much gayer can it get on TV?’ Only with cocksucking on TV could it get any gayer.”
The duo have been working nonstop all year with nary a break. Hopping from one project to the next, the real-life couple has proven, like one of their songs, you can’t stop the beat. Marc and Scott opened the London stage show of Hairspray in October, then jetted to Johannesburg, South Africa, for rehearsals and the premiere of the tale of a pleasantly plump Baltimore teen and her quest for integration on her fave 1960s TV dance show.
“The interesting thing is having Hairspray and this story of Tracy Turnblad in South Africa,” Wittman says of the John Waters-created tale. “It’s amazing.” And, given the country’s history of apartheid, indeed it is.
“The fantastic perk of writing a musical is that part of the deal is to fly us to the opening night,” Wittman notes with elation. “So we got this trip to South Africa, and we get to go on an excursion. We get to ride elephants and things. It should be nice. We haven’t had a vacation in a long time.”
Although Shaiman and Wittman may not be as recognizable as Cary Grant or George Clooney, the two are assuredly leading men in their own right. With individual and collective résumés that would put even the glitziest of Hollywood’s elite to shame, the hilarious and talented duo have impressive track records writing, directing and composing some of the most recognizable works in pop culture (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut’s “Uncle Fucka,” anyone?).
For more than 28 years, Marc and Scott have worked together on and off stage and screen to critical and commercial acclaim. In 2003, they won a Drama Desk Award and Hairspray garnered an impressive eight Tony Awards (out of 13 nominations). The couple even made headlines with their onstage kiss during the national telecast of the ceremony. That same year, they walked away with a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
So what keeps them at the top of their game and such a great team?
“We have to see a therapist,” Shaiman says as they both laugh. “Working collaboratively has always been the cement between Scott and me. Some of the worst months, weeks and years have been the ones when we weren’t together. We still laugh at the same things. As our bodies fall apart, our minds have not fallen. As cliché and whorey as it sounds, that thing about finishing each other’s sentences is still very true.”
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Instinct Online 
written by tsk on December 06, 2007
The fact that no one has commented on these accomplished men in the entertainment field says it all about the shallow gay community.
The comments are overflowing if it's for some flavor of the month or some thong model with good looks.
But if the cover story focuses on men with substance, there are no comments.
Thank you instinct for inadvertently revealing the pervading superficial nature of the queer community. It's like getting a pat on the back from Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!!!!!