World Premiere “Slumdog Millionaire” Musical Now Playing in Japan
Led by renowned playwright and director Misaki Setoyama, the world premiere “fast-paced musical drama that incorporates group dance and parkour” concluded it’s run at Tokyo’s Theatre Creatio on August 21, before embarking on a national tour in September.
A Slumdog musical hasn’t made Western news since 2012, after years of negotiations proved fruitless by a planned London creative team. Just like then, this adaptation draws solely from the novel "Q&A" (written by Vikas Swarup) without the participation of any of the film adaptation’s key creators, including director Danny Boyle or composer A.R. Rahman.
Setoyama solves this by fusing an original score by Kamoto Kohei, Sean Oshima, XLII, Carlos K., Tanaka Mash, and Suzuki Eleca — a bold new addition to my trend analysis on the “Playlist Musical” as an emerging and effective collaboration process for blending multi-composer voices into one musical. Setoyama walks us through her process in a Twitter thread here.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Japanese language replica production opened in Tokyo on July 30. I know we’re in August, but this was a long month, okay?
Korea’s EMK company announces that the K-Drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" will become a musical. World premiere scheduled for 2024.
“The Prom” Mexico teases additional dates to be released for Fall 2022. Since opening in late 2021, the Spanish language production has played Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Querétaro.
The production has 15 nominations in Mexico’s ACPT (Agrupación de Críticos y Periodistas de Teatro) Awards.
FUN FACT: The plot of The Prom México takes place in Salamanca, Guanajuato, unlike the North American version, which places the action in Indiana.
Broadway in Mexico is celebrating 25 years — OCESA Teatro, now backed by Live Nation, is dedicated to producing and promoting theater, especially in Mexico City, being the largest producer in Mexico and Latin America.
“OFF-K-BROADWAY”
Scottish Musical “Islander” re-opens in Korea for second season — In addition to South Korea and a recently concluded Off-Broadway run (my review here, spoiler: I’m absolutely obsessed with it), the show has also played in Scotland, England, and Poland.
New Musical “Brontë” Posters revealed — Based on the lives of sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, the Korean creative musical will run “off-K-Broadway” (I’m coining this phrase for you dear readers) at the Daehangno Jayu Theater 9/3-11/6/2022.
New Musical “Treadmill” to premiere “off-K-Broadway” at CJ’s Azit Theater in Daehangno on September 28.
The musical is this year’s selection from the 'Stage Up' contest, the main project of the CJ Culture Foundation that started in 2010 and has been sponsoring and investing in original
Trends Looking Ahead
“Next to Normal” continues to have a robust licensing life abroad, with a new German production opening in Magdeburg October 1. Other notable productions this year have occurred in Japan, China, and Spain, with the title’s well-received traction sparking speculation for an eventual Broadway return.
“Chicago” licensed production to open in Iceland January 2023 — The musical has only been performed in Iceland once before in 2005. The translation is by Gísli Rúnar Jónsson (Little Shop of Horrors, Grease and Mary Poppins).
In North America (so as not to compete with the Broadway production or any professional US tour), Chicago is currently available for amateur licensing only.
However, the show has previously played local language productions in Argentina, Spain, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Denmark, Brazil, France, Italy, Russia, Canada (French), Mexico, Portugal, Holland, Austria, and Sweden.
In an expected delayed boost post-blockbuster movie, “West Side Story” is poised for licensed productions in Denmark and Korea (both opening in November 2022)
Off-Broadway: "The Inconvenient Miracle: A Mysterious Birth Musical"
Delicately and delectably written, the show unfolds as a docile doo-wop deception, interweaving toe-tapping tunes with heart-breaking realism.
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Off-Broadway: No Mercy by SMJ
Broadway DNA CEO Natalie Rine served as line producer on this production.
“Untitled Raccoon Play” by SMJ
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