New Musicals In the Works

There are always a lot of ideas of what can be transferred to Broadway ... from Abba to Spider Man - Wedding Singer to Legally Blond - and everywhere in between. Continuing in that tradition I present the latest!

Shrek the Musical:
As the third "Shrek" film, which is appropriately titled "Shrek the Third," is about to hit movie theatres nationwide, comes word that a staged reading of the Broadway-bound musical Shrek will be in held in Manhattan this summer.

A casting notice reveals that the readings produced by Dreamworks Animation/Neal Street Productions will be presented July 23-Aug. 3. Avenue Q's Jason Moore will direct the readings of Shrek, which features music by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by recent Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay Abaire.

Aretha Franklin Musical:
A new musical about singer Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul known for such hits as "Respect," "Freeway of Love" and "Chain of Fools," is being developed.

Auditions for singing and non-singing roles will be held in suburban Detroit in May for a show based on Detroit native Franklin's autobiography, according to Associated Press. It's reportedly to launch in Motown in March 2008.

9 to 5, the Musical:
9 to 5, the stage musical based on the 1980 film comedy, will take another step toward a wide future with a June staged reading in Manhattan, according to a casting notice.

Producer Robert Greenblatt's exploration of the material is under an Equity Special Agreement Staged Reading contract, and runs June 20-28.

As previously reported, the project has music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, book by original screenwriter/conceiver Patricia Resnick and direction by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Wicked, Blackbird, Take Me Out, Assassins).

Previously:
3-7-2007 - New ABBA Musical Headed for Broadway?
12-27-2006 - A McCartney Musical

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