Black Orpheus musical world premiere to hit Broadway
It has been announced that the world premiere of a new musical stage adaptation of Black Orpheus, featuring a book by Lynn Nottage and directed by George C. Wolfe, will be heading to Broadway.
Producers Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones-Harvey, and Paula Marie Black announced their intentions to mount the production at a yet to be named Broadway venue.
Black Orpheus, made into a 1959 film, is based on the play Orfeu de Conceição by Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980) and resets the classic Greek love story of Eurydice and Orfeu against the back drop of a Rio de Janeiro favela during Carnival. The show's score will include many of the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfa, and Vinicius de Moraes themes from the motion picture, which won the 1959 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film is widely known to have introduced the world to Bossa Nova, a genre of Brazilian music.
Producer Stephen Byrd said, "We are so thrilled to bring this classic piece of Brazilian popular culture to life on stage. The World Cup is providing a wonderful international platform for Brazil right now, and we look forward to further spotlighting this legacy on Broadway!".
Casting, creative team, venue and dates for Black Orpheus will be announced at a later date.
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