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Val Kilmer stars as Moses in the new musical production of the "The Ten Commandments," playing at

It’s not at all surprising that Robert Iscove is feeling under the weather. As he spoke by phone last week during his lunch break, the director, whose credits range from the bubble-gum romantic comedy “She’s All That” to choreographer for the Academy Awards, was in the middle of rehearsing a project so ambitious that it’s tantamount to parting the Red Sea – literally and figuratively. That’s because about eight months ago, Iscove was tapped by fashion mogul turned theater producer Max Azria (of the eponymous and ubiquitous BCBG line) to helm “The Ten Commandments,” a glossy pop musical version of the story of Moses set to make its U.S. premiere Sept. 27 in Los Angeles. Despite feeling overwhelmed and rundown by a rehearsal process that he affectionately refers to as “the madness,” the highly unusual circumstances surrounding “The Ten Commandments” are not lost on Iscove. He admits that the idea of working with Azria and his producing partner Charles Cohen, two men with little to no theater experience, did originally give him a moment’s pause. He also readily acknowledges some of the challenges involved with opening a show at the Kodak Theatre, a venue famous not only for acoustical problems but also untested as a home for a big Broadway musical. That the Kodak is in Los Angeles, a city accustomed to receiving musicals only after they have been vetted either in smaller markets or on Broadway, only adds to the sense of risk. Not to mention the logistical nightmare that any production of this scale means: a cast of 50 led by the notoriously temperamental Val Kilmer as Moses (though Iscove insists Kilmer’s reputation is a myth – the actor is a joy to work with), brand-new songs by Madonna’s former composer Patrick Leonard (the songs from the original French musical on which “The Ten Commandments” is based were deemed aesthetically wrong for an American audience), and, of course, that pesky Red Sea business. Nursing a well-earned stuffy nose, Iscove attempted to explain just what it was that made him make the leap of faith required to direct “The Ten Commandments.”

dB Magazine: What attracted you to directing this show? Robert Iscove: You rarely get an opportunity to mount something like this in Los Angeles. So having the challenge of doing something like this here was really appealing. L.A. is usually a very tough theater town. dB: Are you worried at all about not having workshopped the play somewhere else first? RI: We’ve done performances with small groups of invited people already. But as in any show, until you’re doing it in front of an audience, you just don’t really know. dB: How did you get past your initial concerns about working with producers with no theater experience? RI: Max’s enthusiasm overcame that. He is such a spiritual person, and is doing it for all the right reasons. dB: What will be different about this version of Moses that we haven’t seen before? RI: Charlton Heston was the Moses for a ’50s generation, which was fine. But I wanted to ask, what is the Moses for this generation? He’s more approachable. He’s questioning why he was chosen to do this all along. He gets that quiet moment on the top of Mt. Sinai when he’s saying to God, “Tell me why I’m doing this.” This Moses is expressing all of our doubts and fears as far as the question of why should we be spiritual. dB: Does the wild financial success of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” make you hopeful about prospects of another Biblical story like “The Ten Commandments”? RI: When I go in to do a show I can’t do it thinking that, oh, since this film was successful then this show will be, too. I just have to make it as good as I possibly can. The state of the world today is probably what’s making people be receptive to stories like this one. Although this is a piece of entertainment, it does still have relevance. dB: Do you worry anyone might be offended by telling this revered story through pop music? RI: I would beg to differ (with someone who felt that way). In the 16th and 17th centuries, Mozart was a very popular composer, and people then would say that Mozart shouldn’t be composing a requiem. dB: There have been reports that the special effects have caused the show to go over budget – any hints on what we might be able to expect? RI: Well, we’re going to part the Red Sea on stage. dB: How are you going to do that? RI: You have to see the show. It doesn’t do anything to describe it unless you actually see it. It’s part of the magic of theater. -Sommer Mathis