Coming Soon: “Crazy Rich Asians” The Musical
Put down the microwave popcorn, log out of your TV streaming accounts, and get ready to buy tickets for “Crazy Rich Asians” on Broadway!
Since the movie first came to American theatres in August 2018, it received rave reviews, even scoring a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and fans eagerly awaited a sequel. The 2018 film broke box office records for romantic comedies, and reached $80 million in global ticket sales just 12 days after its release, as reported by Forbes.
However, despite the rumors directly following the success of the film, there have been no major updates as to whether or not a sequel will be released soon.
Not to worry! If you were anticipating a sequel and have begun losing hope, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jon M. Chu, the director of the original film version of “Crazy Rich Asians” has announced that a musical is in the works with Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures and Kevin Kwan.
Although the development of the musical and pre-Broadway engagement has been confirmed, Playbill reported that there has yet to be a world premiere date announced for the musical.
While fans patiently await a premiere date announcement, there are other exciting details to note involving the production team. According to Playbill, “Crazy Rich Asians the musical will feature a score by Tony-nominated composer Helen Park (KPOP), a book by Leah Nanako Winkler (Schmigadoon!), and lyrics by Tony-nominated songwriter Amanda Green (Hands On A Hardbody) and Singaporean songwriter Tat Tong. Director Chu is also directing the two-part Wicked film adaptation.”
According to Variety, the musical is based on Kevin Kwan’s book, like the movie, following a Chinese American professor named Rachel as she travels to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick, only to find out that his family is “crazy rich.”
Casting has yet to be released for the musical adaptation. However, the success of the original Asian-led film, and a recent Off-Broadway performance by the film’s lead actress Constance Wu in “Little Shops of Horrors” according to Playbill, is of note. So, although this may not be the sequel you were hoping for, but there could be a chance to see your favorite actors from the original film on the Broadway stage.
Stay tuned for more updates in the future on all the details of this up-and-coming project!