Rocketman the Musical: Elton John Bio Broadway-bound?

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

According to The Sun, there may be another bio-musical in development for both Broadway and the West End. Tony, Oscar and Grammy Award-winning musician Elton John is providing his impressive back catalogue of hits, whilst his 'Billy Elliot' colleague and Tony winner Lee Hall is set to write the book for the project entitled Rocketman the Musical.

According to Old Vic Theatre Chief Executive Sally Greene's comments in The Sun, there are big plans in store for John's biography. Tom Hardy has already been cast to play Elton in the biopic movie Rocketman and the stage adaptations for both Broadway and the West End will follow.

Rocketman the Musical would not be the first time, of course, that this icon of the music industry has involved himself with the Great White Way. He won a Tony Award in 2000 for Best Original Musical Score for Aida, and also earned Tony nominations in the same category for Disney's The Lion King in 1998 and Billy Elliot in 2009. He also provided the music for short-lived Vampire musical Lestat and was a producer for the 2010 Tony-nominated play Next Fall.

He won an Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song for 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?' in the Disney animated classic The Lion King. 'Circle of Life' also earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and 'Hakuna Matata' a further Oscar nomination. More recently, he picked up Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song for 'Hello Hello' in 2012 (from Gnomeo & Juliet) and for 'The Heart Of Every Girl' in 2004 (from Mona Lisa Smile).

Elton John has won 5 Grammy Awards over the years and his back catalogue of hits includes 'I'm Still Standing,' 'Young Song', 'Border Song,' 'Crocodile Rock,' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Sacrifice,' and 'Candle in the Wind,' amongst many many others.

There has been no official press release on dates or casting information for Rocketman the Musical yet.

Originally published on

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