Lin-Manuel Miranda To Help Bring A Martin Scorsese Classic To Broadway
Martin Scorsese and Lin-Manuel Miranda is the dream collaboration that no Broadway purist knew they needed. Scorsese has been consistently developing hits since he sprung onto the scene in 1967. Since his earnest debut with "Who's That Knocking At My Door," the born and raised New Yorker has given audiences "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," "The Departed," and many, many more projects, bringing in over $2 billion at the global box office (via The Numbers). In a career filled with highs, the director is set to get the Broadway treatment, thanks to the help of one of the industry's most popular creatives.
Over the last decade, Miranda has emerged as Broadway's hottest sensation thanks to the diverse and inclusive musical "In The Heights," which recently received the theatrical treatment from Warner Bros., and "Hamilton," the ground-breaking production that needs no introduction. Since achieving superstardom, Miranda has lent his creative talents to Disney's animated hits "Moana," "Mary Poppins Returns," and "Encanto." The multi-hyphenate creative also recently made his directorial debut by adapting Jonathan Larson's musical "Tick, Tick... Boom!" for Netflix.
Now, Miranda has his eyes set on adapting one of Scorsese's most iconic films for Broadway, and it isn't "The Wolf of Wall Street."
Lin-Manuel Miranda will write additional lyrics for a New York, New York, stage show
Deadline reports that Martin Scorsese's "New York, New York" is getting the Broadway treatment. The outlet says that performances will begin at a soon-to-be-announced theater in March 2023, with opening night in April. The adaptation will be loosely based on Scorsese's iconic film, which stars frequent collaborator Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli, though their characters won't appear in the production. The show will be set in post-war 1946 New York. Similarities with Scorsese's musical will end there. Instead, this iteration of "New York, New York" is said to be about the city going through recovery. The cast and story will be inclusive.
The Broadway show will still feature songs from original writers John Kander and Fred Ebb, including the title theme. Lin-Manuel Miranda has been tapped to write additional lyrics. David Thompson will pen the book and Sharon Washington will serve as the show's co-writer. "New York, New York" will be brought to life by Tony award-winning choreographer and director Susan Stroman. The outlet reports that the cast will consist of 31 performers and will feature an orchestra of 19 musicians.
The show has reportedly been in development for four years and went through a well-received workshop several months ago. An individual who attended the performance described it to Deadline as "profoundly beautiful and special." The insider continued by making it clear that the show will tackle the stories of New Yorkers from all walks of life. "The thing to remember is that it's not the film, it's a million miles away from the film, just to be clear," they said. At this current junction, it appears Scorsese, who is currently gunning for a 2023 release for "Killers of the Flower Moon," is not involved with the stage show.