Joe DiPietro and David Bryan's Chasing the Song Will Get La Jolla Reading

By Adam Hetrick
21 Dec 2012

Joe DiPietro
Joe DiPietro
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Chasing the Song, the new musical from Tony Award-winning Memphis writers Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, will receive a January staged reading as part of La Jolla Playhouse's DNA New Work Series.

As DiPietro previously told Playbill.com in August, Memphis director Christopher Ashley and choreographer Sergio Trujillo are helming the new musical that centers on New York City's Brill Building, which delivered hits that changed the sound of the music charts in the early 1960s. Ashley is also the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse.

DiPietro penned book and lyrics to Chasing the Song, which has music by Bryan. The two earned Tony Awards for handling those duties on Memphis. Tony-winning Memphis producers Junkyard Dog (Sue Frost, Randy Adams, Kenny and Marleen Alhadeff) are helping to develop the new rock musical.

The workshop will run Jan. 7-27, 2013, and two public readings will take place Jan. 25 and 26 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. Casting will be announced shortly. August Eriksmoen will musical direct.

Here's how it's billed: "In New York's legendary Brill Building, Elegant Edie's music publishing house is struggling along when talented novice songwriter Ginny bursts on the scene. She quickly learns the ropes from her seasoned colleagues, penning several hits and discovering herself in the process. Chasing the Song follows this group of pop songwriters and the changing sounds of the music charts in the early 1960s, prior to The Beatles emerging and changing the entire music world."

La Jolla's DNA New Work Series will also present The Tall Girls, a new drama by Meg Miroshnik, directed by Juliette Carrillo (Jan. 24-Feb. 3, 2013); Brahman/i, A One-Hijra Stand-Up Comedy Show by Aditi Brennan Kapil, directed by Jeremy Cohen (Feb. 21-March 3, 2013); as well as Being Henrietta by Monique Gaffney, Orange Julius by Basil Kreimendahl and The Consultant by Heidi Schreck.

Three additional readings will be announced shortly.

Visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.