"Randy Newman's Faust" is the ninth studio album and a musical created by American musician Randy Newman, released in 1995. The work reimagines the classic Faust story, drawing inspiration from Goethe's version and Milton's Paradise Lost, while updating the narrative to a modern setting infused with humorous cynicism.
In this adaptation, God and the Devil compete for the soul of Henry Faust, a student at the University of Notre Dame. The musical premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in September 1995 and was later performed at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in September 1996. It was also released as a concept album on CD.
In July 2014, a stripped-down, modernized "concert" version was staged for Encores! at New York City Center.
In a 1995 New York Times article, Randy Newman revealed that his inspiration to create a work based on Goethe's Faust stemmed from his first reading of the play in the 1970s. During a 2014 performance at the New York City Center, he humorously remarked that while Faust is a masterpiece, his experience included reading a "classic comic book" adaptation.
Newman had long been interested in themes related to Heaven, citing influences such as the 1930 play Green Pastures and the 1945 film The Horn Blows at Midnight. He felt the grandeur of the God-and-Devil narrative allowed him to express everything he knew and wanted to say. However, he also aimed to subvert Goethe’s wisdom, stating his desire to showcase how real human nature frustrates such ideals.
In 1980, he began writing songs and drafting a script for the project but eventually set it aside to concentrate on his solo career and film work. At one point, he sought feedback from Mike Nichols, who criticized the character of "Henry Faust" for lacking a character arc, to which Newman replied that he appreciated the gruesome nature of such a portrayal.
Notably, the song "Sandman's Coming" was repurposed from an episode of the 1990 TV series Cop Rock, for which Newman had contributed several songs.
