who with his band The News stormed radio in the 1980s with such rock-pop hits as 害羞草研究所淭he Power of Love害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淚 Want a New Drug,害羞草研究所� is about to take his music to a Broadway stage.
Lewis and executive producer Hunter Arnold tell The Associated Press that the jukebox musical 害羞草研究所� constructed from Lewis害羞草研究所� songs 害羞草研究所� will play the James Earl Jones Theatre starting March 2024, capping more than 10 years of gestation.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been a long road, but it害羞草研究所檚 very gratifying,害羞草研究所� Lewis said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 pinching myself because it害羞草研究所檚 really going to happen now.害羞草研究所�
The show, which has an original story unconnected to Lewis, broke the record for highest gross per performance at San Diego害羞草研究所檚 Old Globe theater in 2018.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 smart, first of all, and funny. And it has a lot of heart and it害羞草研究所檚 about love, basically,害羞草研究所� Lewis said. 害羞草研究所淧eople ask me, 害羞草研究所橶hat害羞草研究所檚 it about, 害羞草研究所漈he Heart of Rock & Roll害羞草研究所�? And it害羞草研究所檚 actually about the power of love.害羞草研究所�
Lewis has tweaked some song lyrics to make them able to be sung by different people and in contexts he never initially anticipated. 害羞草研究所淭he fun part of that is being able to hear these songs that we wrote tell a new story in a completely different way,害羞草研究所� he said.
Music supervisor and orchestrator Brian Usifer has reworked the tunes for a word-driven show, and the production will feature a book by Jonathan A. Abrams. Alongside Hunter as producers are Tyler Mitchell, who initially proposed a show based on the band害羞草研究所檚 music, and Kayla Greenspan. Casting will be announced later.
The story centers on a blue-collar guy who used to be in a rock band in his 20s. He finds himself in his 30s prepared to take the leap to middle-class respectability when his bandmates return to take another stab at music. There害羞草研究所檚 also a love story when he falls for the boss害羞草研究所� daughter.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an everyman story,害羞草研究所� said Arnold. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really a story about what do we actually want in life, and how do we decide that for ourselves.害羞草研究所�
Huey Lewis & The News had 12 top 10 Billboard hits on the Hot 100 and three that made No. 1. They won a Grammy Award, for best music video for 害羞草研究所淭he Heart if Rock 害羞草研究所榥害羞草研究所� Roll,害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Power of Love害羞草研究所� was nominated for an Academy Award.
Most of the band害羞草研究所檚 hits came from 害羞草研究所淪ports害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� their sophomore album 害羞草研究所� released in 1983, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 160 weeks. It spun off such singles as 害羞草研究所淗eart and Soul,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚 Want a New Drug,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚f This Is It,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淔inally Found a Home,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淲alking on a Thin Line害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Heart of Rock & Roll.害羞草研究所�
Lewis was an unlikely pop star, with earnest and sweet songs that verged on corny, delivered by a singer substantially older than his counterparts on the charts. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the weirdest thing because the man who defied the 害羞草研究所�80s in many ways now also defines the 害羞草研究所�80s,害羞草研究所� said Arnold.
害羞草研究所淚 think more than ever, people are looking for something that makes them feel hopeful, happy. Nostalgia is in because it害羞草研究所檚 a comfort food for us as audiences, but not something that is without a lesson underneath.害羞草研究所�
There害羞草研究所檚 irony that Lewis害羞草研究所� music is already on Broadway 害羞草研究所� in including the theme tune 害羞草研究所淭he Power of Love害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏ack in Time.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 more about timing. It害羞草研究所檚 not about we害羞草研究所檙e the greatest songwriters who ever lived,害羞草研究所� said Lewis, laughing. He appeared on Broadway in 害羞草研究所淐hicago害羞草研究所� as Billy Flynn in the mid-2000s.
害羞草研究所淚 consider musical theater to be the most rewarding because it害羞草研究所檚 the most demanding of all artistic expression. You need to sing, dance and act. And it害羞草研究所檚 so collaborative that it害羞草研究所檚 not even enough to be good. You need to make everyone else good as well,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 wonderfully demanding and wonderfully rewarding, and we害羞草研究所檙e just happy to have a shot at it.害羞草研究所�
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