'Diana: The Musical' to be filmed for Netflix ahead of 2021 Broadway opening

The Broadway musical based on the life of Princess Diana of Wales will be filmed without an audience for the streaming giant.

The producers of Diana: A New Musical announced on Tuesday that a filmed version of the stage production will premiere on Netflix before the musical opens on Broadway in 2021. The production, which had started previews when Broadway shut down due to the coronavirus and was originally scheduled to open on March 31, 2020, is based on the life of Princess Diana of Wales. The musical is now set to open May 25, 2021 at the Longacre Theatre. 

Diana producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall, and the Araca Group said in a joint statement: "We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn't be more excited to finally be able share our show with theater lovers everywhere. Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide."

The performance will be filmed at the Longacre Theatre without an audience and will feature the original cast. Jeanna de Waal stars as Diana, with Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles, and Tony winner Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. The complete cast includes Zach Adkins, Tessa Alves, Ashley Andrews, Austen Danielle Bohmer, Holly Ann Butler, Stephen Carrasco, Bruce Dow, Richard Gatta, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Emma Hearn, Shaye B. Hopkins, Andre Jordan, Gareth Keegan, Nathan Lucrezio, Tomǡs Matos, Chris Medlin, Laura Stracko, and Bethany Ann Tesarck.

The musical is directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Kelly Devine and features book and lyrics by Tony winner Joe DiPIetro with music by David Bryan. 

^{Photo credit: Jeanna de Waal as Diana in Diana: A New Musical (Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)}