who with his band The News stormed radio in the 1980s with such rock-pop hits as 91裸聊视频淭he Power of Love91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淚 Want a New Drug,91裸聊视频� is about to take his music to a Broadway stage.
Lewis and executive producer Hunter Arnold tell The Associated Press that the jukebox musical 91裸聊视频� constructed from Lewis91裸聊视频� songs 91裸聊视频� will play the James Earl Jones Theatre starting March 2024, capping more than 10 years of gestation.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been a long road, but it91裸聊视频檚 very gratifying,91裸聊视频� Lewis said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 pinching myself because it91裸聊视频檚 really going to happen now.91裸聊视频�
The show, which has an original story unconnected to Lewis, broke the record for highest gross per performance at San Diego91裸聊视频檚 Old Globe theater in 2018.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 smart, first of all, and funny. And it has a lot of heart and it91裸聊视频檚 about love, basically,91裸聊视频� Lewis said. 91裸聊视频淧eople ask me, 91裸聊视频橶hat91裸聊视频檚 it about, 91裸聊视频漈he Heart of Rock & Roll91裸聊视频�? And it91裸聊视频檚 actually about the power of love.91裸聊视频�
Lewis has tweaked some song lyrics to make them able to be sung by different people and in contexts he never initially anticipated. 91裸聊视频淭he fun part of that is being able to hear these songs that we wrote tell a new story in a completely different way,91裸聊视频� 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 band91裸聊视频檚 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. There91裸聊视频檚 also a love story when he falls for the boss91裸聊视频� daughter.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an everyman story,91裸聊视频� said Arnold. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really a story about what do we actually want in life, and how do we decide that for ourselves.91裸聊视频�
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 91裸聊视频淭he Heart if Rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� Roll,91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Power of Love91裸聊视频� was nominated for an Academy Award.
Most of the band91裸聊视频檚 hits came from 91裸聊视频淪ports91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� their sophomore album 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频淗eart and Soul,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚 Want a New Drug,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚f This Is It,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淔inally Found a Home,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淲alking on a Thin Line91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Heart of Rock & Roll.91裸聊视频�
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. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the weirdest thing because the man who defied the 91裸聊视频�80s in many ways now also defines the 91裸聊视频�80s,91裸聊视频� said Arnold.
91裸聊视频淚 think more than ever, people are looking for something that makes them feel hopeful, happy. Nostalgia is in because it91裸聊视频檚 a comfort food for us as audiences, but not something that is without a lesson underneath.91裸聊视频�
There91裸聊视频檚 irony that Lewis91裸聊视频� music is already on Broadway 91裸聊视频� in including the theme tune 91裸聊视频淭he Power of Love91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淏ack in Time.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 more about timing. It91裸聊视频檚 not about we91裸聊视频檙e the greatest songwriters who ever lived,91裸聊视频� said Lewis, laughing. He appeared on Broadway in 91裸聊视频淐hicago91裸聊视频� as Billy Flynn in the mid-2000s.
91裸聊视频淚 consider musical theater to be the most rewarding because it91裸聊视频檚 the most demanding of all artistic expression. You need to sing, dance and act. And it91裸聊视频檚 so collaborative that it91裸聊视频檚 not even enough to be good. You need to make everyone else good as well,91裸聊视频� he added. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 wonderfully demanding and wonderfully rewarding, and we91裸聊视频檙e just happy to have a shot at it.91裸聊视频�
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