As I have a few minutes this afternoon, here’s some theatre news about some musicals of interest coming to Broadway:
- The musical “13“, which we saw back in January, should be showing up on Broadway in 2008, according to Playbill. I hope it does well; I really liked the music to this show, and it is always good to have a family-oriented musical available. I’ll note that Jason Robert Brown (jrbrown) is working on a musical version of “Honeymoon in Vegas” as well. “Honeymoon” may show up on Broadway in autumn of 2007,
- “Young Frankenstein” is also headed to Broadway (after a tryout in Seattle), but you likely knew that already. What you didn’t know was where or when. According to Playbill, it will be the Hilton Theatre at Halloween. Song titles, according to Mel Brooks, include “We’re the Happiest Town in Town,” which the villagers sing at the top of the show when they believe Frankenstein is dead, and “There Is Nothing Like the Brain.” The casting will be Roger Bart in the title role, Christopher Fitzgerald as Igor, Megan Mullally as Elizabeth and, most likely, Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher. Tony Award winners Shuler Hensley and Sutton Foster are also expected to star as, respectively, the monster (played by Peter Boyle in the film) and Inga (the Teri Garr role).
- Composer Andrew Lippa and Librettists Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) will be working on a musical version of “The Addams Family“, according to Broadway.Com. This will be a new musical based on characters, cartoons and sketches by cartoonist Charles Addams. It is unclear whether any plot will be recycled from the movies.
- Also transitioning from screen to stage will be “Harold and Maude“. According to Playbill, an invitation-only reading was presented May 24 at the Snapple Theatre Center. The show features a score by Tom Jones (lyrics) and Joseph Thalken (music) with a book by Jones, and is based on the 1971 film.
