A musical featuring the work of “Weird Al” Yankovic is in the works with the creators behind it Moulin Rouge! and Beetlejuice.
Dare to Be Stupid: Strange Music It will feature the five-time Grammy Award winner’s songs.
Tony Winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! musical; Oh, hello) is set to direct the musical, which features an original story by Tony-nominated writing duo Scott Brown and Anthony King (Gutenberg! Musical! Beetlejuice) and Yankovic. Tony Award-winning film and theatrical production company Seaview is on board to produce.
The team behind the musical said it will feature songs from Yankovic’s catalog spanning more than four decades, including “White & Nerdy” (a parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin'”), “Amish Paradise” (a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”), “Eat It” (a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”), and “Smells Like Nirvana” (a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”). Nirvana’s). “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) and “Like a Surgeon” (a parody of Madonna’s song “Like a Virgin”).
“Since I was a middle-aged man, I always wanted to be part of the New York theater community,” Yankovic said. “Plus, the one thing people always say about Broadway is that it’s sorely lacking in Weird Al-based entertainment, and I think this musical should solve that problem immediately.” “
Added Timbers: “I first fell in love with Al’s music with the release of ‘Dare to Be Stupid’ and have been a huge fan ever since. Now, it’s a dream come true to work with one of my comedy heroes to bring an original story set to his beloved songbook to the stage. What Al, Anthony and Scott are creating is unexpected, subversive, meta, and funny and I can’t wait for the world to experience it.”
Producer Greg Nobile, CEO of Seaview, said:Dare to be stupid It sounds like the kind of music that only comes up every once in a while — so original, so funny, and backed by the unmistakable heart that made “Weird Al” Yankovic such a unique voice in American culture. Beneath the absurdity and fun, there’s a show about creativity, individuality and the freedom to be yourself unapologetically.
Additional details for the musical, including the production schedule and additional creative team, will be announced soon.
