Variety reports that Tony-winning composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) are also in negotiations to score the project. A goal would be to stage the musical on Broadway after the series airs. (The stage show at the center of the series is not related to any existing musical.)

The scripted series — it's not a documentary — will trace the process of creating a new musical from conception to songwriting, the alignment of investors, through casting and the rehearsal process. The show would also focus on the personal lives and stories of the individuals involved.

Creators are currently considering the series as a multi-year event, with the focus on new projects as the seasons progress. Spielberg and DreamWorks TV will produce.

Shaiman and Wittman most recently developed Spielberg's film "Catch Me If You Can" for the stage and Emmy Award-nominated producers Zadan and Meron (TV's "Annie," "Cinderella," "The Reagans," "Me and My Shadows," "A Raisin the Sun") brought the Shaiman-Wittman musical Hairspray to the big screen.