There's been some big announcements this week about what we can expect to see on Broadway this season.
The trend of adapting Whoopi Goldberg movies into Broadway musicals is continuing: First there was The Color Purple, which ran for several years and won star LaChanze a Tony Award. Then came London import Sister Act, which is still running. And now, following from across the pond is Ghost, with a book adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin from his screenplay for the 1990 film. According to the New York Times, the musical will have a score by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard, will open in April at a Nederlander Theater. No word yet on casting, but the London production stars Richard Fleeshman and Hair's Caissie Levy as the main couple (Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in the film) and Sharon D. Clarke will pick up Goldberg's mantle as the psychic who tries to help them. (So when will we get Jumpin' Jack Flash: The Musical?)
Also in the spring will be a new production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, only five years after the most recent revival. This production is set to follow in the footsteps of the 2008 Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and like that production will have an all-minority cast, giving actors who might otherwise never get to play these iconic roles the chance of a lifetime. According to the Times, Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker are set to play Stanley and Blanche, and Rent's Daphne Rubin-Vega will play timid Stella. The production will be directed by Emily Mann, and no theater or official opening date has been announced yet.
Tickets will most likely be available on telecharge.com.