Walter Bobbie (Chicago, Sweet Charity, White Christmas) has signed on to direct the new Tom Kitt, Amanda Green and David Lindsay-Abaire musical take on the Nick Hornby novel, which was also a film. Jeffrey Seller, Robyn Goodman, Kevin McCollum — the team behind the 2004 Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q — will produce the new work.
High Fidelity follows the story of a record store owner (and constant Top 5-listmaker) who — when things in his current relationship go sour — revisits his former relationships to find where he went wrong. The 2000 film reset the Hornby story in Chicago (rather than England) starring John Cusack, Jack Black, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lisa Bonet, Tim Robbins and Lili Taylor. The musical will be set in New York.
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Kimberly Akimbo, Fuddy Meers) will pen the book with music by composer Tom Kitt (Laugh Whore, Debbie Does Dallas) and lyricist Amanda Green (For the Love of Tiffany, Up The Creek Without A Paddle ).
The world premiere pre-Broadway production will play an out-of-town tryout engagement, Sept. 26-Oct. 22 at the Colonial Theatre as part of the Broadway Across America – Boston series. The show will then begin previews on Broadway in late November and open in early December at a theatre to be announced.
"The wit, humor and humanity of Nick Hornby's characters and story naturally lends itself to musical treatment," according to songwriters Kitt and Green. "It is a socially acute contemporary love story about people who are obsessed with, and define themselves by pop music and culture. The hero's life is a soundtrack and the big moments are songs." Christopher Gattelli (Altar Boyz) will choreograph the musical. The design team for High Fidelity features Anna Louizos (set), Theresa Squire (costumes), Ken Billington (lighting) and Acme Sound Partners (sound).
Tickets for High Fidelity at the Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street (near Tremont Street) in Boston, MA are available through Broadway Across America - Boston at (866) 523-7469. For more information, visit the website www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
