EXCLUSIVE: The Jonathan Larson Project, a new musical featuring more than 20 songs that have never been part of a fully staged production – including material cut from Rent and tick, tick… BOOM! – will make its Off Broadway world premiere in February, producers announced today.
The Jonathan Larson Project will begin a 16-week limited engagement with previews starting Friday, February 14, at the Orpheum Theatre in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood. The official opening night is Monday, March 10.
Casting will be announced at a later date.
The “new” music was found in files and boxes after the visionary Rent writer died suddenly at the age of 35 in 1996. The trove of songs includes work from unproduced shows including 1984 and Superbia, songs that were cut from Rent and tick, tick… BOOM!, songs written for theatrical revues and for the radio, and even songs never publicly performed or recorded before The Jonathan Larson Project.
The new musical was conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper and is directed by John Simpkins, with Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch and Marc Routh producing.
“Jonathan Larson dreamed of revolutionizing musical theatre,” said Tepper. “Tragically, he wasn’t around to see his wildest dreams come true, since he passed away unexpectedly at the age of 35, right before Rent hit. Over a decade ago, I began immersing myself in the hundreds of boxes that Jonathan Larson left behind when he died. The hours of cassette tapes of undiscovered songs, piles of scripts that had never been produced, and many personal letters, photos, journals, and more were endlessly inspiring.”
Tepper continues, “Jonathan’s lost songs are political, personal, surprising, galvanizing, relevant, and tell a fascinating new story about a young man following his heart in New York City, trying to change the world. I felt strongly that there was a show to be made from Jonathan’s work that had never been heard. I am so thrilled that after many years, The Jonathan Larson Project is finally making its full-scale debut as a stage musical.”
Some songs included in the Jonathan Larson Project were originally presented in concert form at 54 Below in fall 2018 and also released as an album from Ghostlight Records in 2019.
The full staging at the Orpheum will include Music Supervision, Orchestrations, and Co-Arrangements by Charlie Rosen and Co-Arrangements by Natalie Tenenbaum. The Jonathan Larson Project also features Choreography by Byron Easley and Music Direction by Cynthia Meng.
