Every movie seems to be turning into Broadway shows these days—Pretty Woman, Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Frozen, and now Empire Records is coming to the stage, too!
The cult classic will be adapted for the stage by the movie’s original screenwriter, Carol Heikkinen, and produced by Bill Weiner. In an interview with the Rolling Stone, Weiner said:
“[the film] evokes an interesting period in time, the Nineties, where the music business was changing – and a lot of people remember that as part of their youth. I knew we had something when I would tell people about the show and consistently see faces light up – everyone has a story, whether it’s that they saw the movie 10 times, stole the video cassette from an older sibling or the soundtrack was the first CD they ever purchased.”
The music and lyrics will be written by Zoe Sarnak, who says about the musical:
“I’m a huge fan of Nineties alt-rock, and it was a really special time when that style intersected with punk, grunge and even pop. These styles can inform a score that is melodic while still feeling organic, visceral and explosive. Needless to say, this won’t be a ‘traditional’ Broadway score. But excitingly, so many new Broadway musicals are playing with more contemporary styles, so I think theater audiences will dig that.”
Other than the few people mentioned, the rest of the creative team has yet to be released so stay tuned for more details! The production is slated to premiere in 2020.
featured image source: Empire Records Monarchy Enterprises B.V.