Diary of a Wimpy Kid Takes Center Stage
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Takes Center Stage
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week’s email:
THE BROADWAY BEAT: Some Like It Hot, Leopoldstadt among Outer Critics Circle Award winners | Tonys to Move Forward With Unscripted, Televised Broadcast Amid Writers Strike | Writers Guild will permit an altered Tony Awards to air on June 11 | Third annual ‘Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth’ concert sets date | Sutton Foster Performs "Being Alive" from Company and Rob McClure performs an homage to the last twenty years of Broadway musicals for the 50 year celebration of Great Performances on PBS.
HOT TOPICS: TKTS Turns 50: “A Lot of People Said It Would Never Work” | Jaquel Spivey to Host the 13th Annual Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance | Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford on the Shakespeare of Sondheim, lessons from Sweeney Todd | Kimberly Akimbo launches school grant initiative | See Ben Platt and Noah Galvin in the New Trailer for the film Theater Camp.
THE BIG IDEA: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Takes Center Stage
SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW: Recognizing the 69th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of education with the play Now Let Me Fly: The Struggle Toward Brown V. Board by Marcia Cebulska.
The Broadway Beat
SOME LIKE IT HOT, LEOPOLDSTADT AMONG OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNERS - In total, 11 Broadway productions from the 2022-2023 season took home at least one award.
TONYS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH UNSCRIPTED, TELEVISED BROADCAST AMID WRITERS STRIKE - Lin-Manuel Miranda had been tapped to write an opener for the Broadway awards show but stopped in solidarity with the WGA, members of which have been in a work stoppage since May 2.
WRITERS GUILD WILL PERMIT AN ALTERED TONY AWARDS TO AIR ON JUNE 11 - The WGA said it will not picket the 2023 awards ceremony.
THIRD ANNUAL ‘BROADWAY CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH’ CONCERT SETS DATE - The event is presented by the Broadway League's Black to Broadway initiative.
SUTTON FOSTER PERFORMS "BEING ALIVE" FROM COMPANY CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF GREAT PERFORMANCES ON PBS:
ROB MCCLURE PERFORMS AN HOMAGE TO THE LAST TWENTY YEARS OF BROADWAY MUSICALS, FOR THE 50 YEAR CELEBRATION OF GREAT PERFORMANCES ON PBS:
Hot Topics
TKTS TURNS 50: “A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID IT WOULD NEVER WORK” - One of the city’s most beloved Broadway resources, TKTS is about to celebrate 50 years of providing discounted same-day theater tickets to grateful New Yorkers and visitors.
JAQUEL SPIVEY TO HOST THE 13TH ANNUAL ROGER REES AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE - The event features two musical production numbers featuring the 54 Roger Rees Awards nominees and 12 solo performances by award finalists.
JOSH GROBAN AND ANNALEIGH ASHFORD ON THE SHAKESPEARE OF SONDHEIM, LESSONS FROM SWEENEY TODD AND BARBER CHAIR MISHAPS - Inside a post-show talkback at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
KIMBERLY AKIMBO LAUNCHES SCHOOL GRANT INITIATIVE - The Great Adventure Grants will fund three local high school musical theater productions next year.
SEE BEN PLATT AND NOAH GALVIN IN THE NEW TRAILER FOR THE FILM THEATER CAMP. - The Dear Evan Hansen stars co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman.
The Big Idea
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Takes Center Stage
Broadway Licensing has acquired the rights to produce and license Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This musical is based on the beloved best-selling children’s book series and its film adaptations by Jeff Kinney. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the recipient of six Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for Books and is published in 66 languages throughout the globe.
To learn more about this new musical based on this beloved children’s books, check the official press release below:
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid joins the Broadway Licensing Musical Catalog.
The show will be available for licensing to professional theatre companies, community theatre groups, colleges, and high schools.
Broadway Licensing, a leading theatrical licensing company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the rights to produce and license the hit-stage musical adaptation of the beloved children’s book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is based on the best-selling book series by Jeff Kinney and its film adaptations. This popular book series received six Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for Books and is published in 66 languages worldwide.
The musical was adapted in collaboration with 20th Century Studios and produced by special arrangement with Kevin McCollum and Buena Vista Theatrical. It premiered by the famed Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in April 2016 and ended its original run in June 2016. The show was revised in 2022 and the updated show once again staged at Children’s Theatre Company and ran from April through June of that year.
“I’ve felt so fortunate for the world-class team of talent that have brought the Wimpy Kid story from page to stage!” said Kinney, “There’s so much a Musical can deliver that a book can’t, and fans of the series will be instantly hooked!”
The show follows Greg Heffley as he records the daily trials and triumphs of friendship, family life, and middle school where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and shaving.
“We are thrilled to add Diary of a Wimpy Kid to our musical catalog,” said Sean Cercone, President of Broadway Licensing. “The story is relatable, funny, and heartwarming, and we know that schools, community theatre organizations, and children’s theatre groups are eager to bring this global sensation to life on their own stage.”
The musical has been praised for its clever staging, catchy songs, and faithful adaptation of the beloved book series. A review of the original production stated, “This relentlessly entertaining musical comedy is funny, and the pop-meets-Broadway songs are bouncy and clever.”
The show’s book is by Kevin Del Aguila, an Emmy-winning writer and Broadway performer. He is the playwright of the off-Broadway musical hit Altar Boyz (NY Outer Critics Award) and the lyricist of Click Clack Moo (Lortel and Drama Desk nominations). His other musical adaptations include the DreamWorks film Madagascar and Dog Man: The Musical. Del Aguila has written for numerous children’s television shows, including Peg + Cat (PBS), Waffles + Mochi (Netflix), and as head writer of Blue’s Clues & You (Nick Jr.).
“I’m delighted to finally unleash Greg Heffley’s musical diary on the world! Middle School is a time of big, overblown, awkward feelings, so what better way to express them than in song? It’s a true family show that makes adults and children laugh and cheer together. Here’s hoping it spreads happiness around like the Cheese Touch,” said Del Aguila.
The show’s music was composed by Michael Mahler with lyrics by Alan Schmuckler. Mahler and Schmuckler are a songwriting team whose work includes The Secret of My Success (NBC/Universal); musical TV pilot Boyfred (ABC/Sony/Shoe Money Productions); animated feature My Little Pony 2 (Hasbro, Ron Fair); and music video LEGO Store: The Musical.
“Zoo wee mama!!! I’m so excited that our musical Diary of a Wimpy Kid is going to be made available to theaters and schools everywhere. It’s a show that’s near and dear to my heart—middle school, that magical time where we start to figure out who we actually are, is a gauntlet of horrors each of us has to pass through,” said Mahlerand Schmuckler. “All of us are Gregs and Rowleys, struggling to find our place in the world and forge real and lasting bonds of friendship. I hope this show offers a humorous and heartfelt glint of hope to those going through it, those about to go through it, and those who never quite leave it behind.”
“Welcoming Diary of a Wimpy Kid into our family of imprints demonstrates another major step forward for Broadway Licensing,” concluded Cercone, “bringing world-class theatrical properties to wider groups of audiences and connecting them to the magic of live performance in a shared space, in our effort to make everyone a theatre person.”
For more information about Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other shows available for licensing, visit BroadwayLicensing.com or the show’s licensing webpage, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
ABOUT BROADWAY LICENSING
Broadway Licensing and its family of imprints (Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stage Rights) is the global leader in theatrical licensing and distribution. The iconic works epitomize the greatest collection of authors, composers, lyricists, and underlying rights holders across the globe including Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lynn Nottage, Alan Menken, Stephen King, Elvis, the Bee-Gees, and the Beatles.
The Broadway Licensing collection of titles represents an astonishing 36 Tony Award and 48 Pulitzer Prize-winning works. The company leverages its team’s expertise in licensing, theatrical production, theatre education, and content creation to diversify, strengthen, and rapidly expand its portfolio into new sectors and markets. Founded in 2017, Broadway Licensing has quickly scaled and, as of 2022, the company represents 8 of the Top 10 most produced plays in professional theatres and 9 of the Top 10 most produced plays in High Schools.
In 2020, Broadway Licensing launched the Emmy® Award-nominated streaming platform Broadway On Demand, offering exclusive theatrical content, interactive events, and original programming projected to reach well over 200 million households by 2023. Additionally, Stageworks Productions, the original live stage content creation arm dedicated to the development of innovative, theatrical intellectual properties has developed several world premiere musicals which have been produced in over 90 countries. In all, the combined force of the Broadway Licensing family of imprints continues to grow, with a singular goal to make everyone in the world a theatre person.
MEDIA CONTACT & ASSETS
Tamaryn Tobian | Public Relations at Spectacle Creative Media|press@broadwaylicensing.com
Shows You Should Know
RECOGNIZING THE 69TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION WITH THE PLAY NOW LET ME FLY: THE STRUGGLE TOWARD BROWN V. BOARD BY MARCIA CEBULSKA.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka represents a significant milestone in the annals of legal history. This landmark Supreme Court case, which transpired in 1954, yielded a unanimous ruling by the justices, declaring the racial segregation of children in public schools as unconstitutional. The decision rendered on May 17, 1954, stands as a foundational pillar of the civil rights movement, establishing a vital precedent that unequivocally refutes the notion of "separate-but-equal" education and related services as truly equivalent. Approaching the imminent 70th anniversary of this momentous verdict on May 17, 2024, there exists an invaluable educational opportunity to incorporate this pivotal narrative into the classroom setting. One highly commendable resource to accomplish this aim is the historical drama entitled Now Let Me Fly: The Struggle Toward Brown V. Board, authored by Marcia Cebulska.
Now Let Me Fly commences its narrative in 1950, when Thurgood Marshall dares to challenge the entrenched traditions and subvert the Supreme Court's doctrine of "Separate but Equal." However, a profound moment of introspection arises for Marshall as he encounters the spectral presence of his mentor, Charles Houston, instilling a seed of doubt within him. Houston guides Marshall on a profound journey, allowing him to bear witness to the hardships and sacrifices endured by those tirelessly engaged in the grassroots struggle against institutionalized segregation. Drawing upon a rich tapestry of hundreds of oral histories and personal interviews, Now Let Me Fly magnificently recounts the chronicles of the uncelebrated heroes and heroines who valiantly fought for civil rights.
Discover more about Now Let Me Fly: The Struggle Toward Brown v. Board by Marcia Cebulska, a show you should know!
