Arima Will Direct Stage Musical of Somewhere in Time, With Songs by Arden

By Adam Hetrick
September 14, 2009

Canadian composer Leslie Arden has signed to pen the music and lyrics for the upcoming stage musical adaptation of the 1980 film "Somewhere in Time."

Producer Ken Davenport (Altar Boyz, My First Time, You're Welcome America) has been developing the time-traveling romantic musical with screenwriter Richard Matheson ("The Twilight Zone," "Stir of Echoes"). Davenport will co-author the book with Matheson. Altar Boyz director Stafford Arrima (an Olivier Award nominee for London's Ragtime) will stage the project.

According to Variety, Davenport is developing the musical as a mid-size Broadway production, capitalized at roughly $8 million. No official production schedule has been announced.

Matheson penned the screenplay for "Somewhere in Time," based on his novel "Bid Time Return." Arden is the composer of The House of Martin Guerre and Harvest Moon Rising.

The Universal film "Somewhere in Time" starred Christopher Reeve as a Chicago playwright who uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time to 1912 in order to meet an actress (Jane Seymour) whose portrait hangs in his hotel.