Entitled A Catered Affair, the musical will debut at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre before arriving on Broadway in spring 2008. Performances at the Old Globe will begin Sept. 20.
Tony winner John Doyle — currently represented on Broadway with the revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company — will direct the production, which will feature Fierstein in the cast. No other casting has been announced.
A Catered Affair is based on Paddy Chayefsky's original teleplay and the Turner Entertainment film that was written by Gore Vidal.
The musical — with a book by Fierstein and a score by Bucchino — is set in 1953 Bronx. Press notes describe A Catered Affair thusly: "Funny, heartbreaking and oh so human, this musical play reveals relationships strained to their limits when a couple must decide whether to spend their life savings on a family business or to launch their only daughter's marriage with a lavish catered affair."
Jujamcyn Theaters, Harvey Entertainment/Ron Fierstein and Richie Jackson will produce the new musical at a Broadway theatre to be announced. Harvey Fierstein won two 1983 Tony Awards — Best Actor in a Play and Best Play — for his groundbreaking opus Torch Song Trilogy. He also won a Best Book of a Musical Tony in 1984 for Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles, and a Best Actor in a Musical Tony for Hairspray. Fierstein’s other plays include Safe Sex, Spookhouse and Forget Him. His film credits include "Independence Day," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Bullets Over Broadway," "The Times of Harvey Milk" and "Torch Song Trilogy." He wrote and starred in HBO’s "Tidy Endings," which brought him an ACE Award. Fierstein also published the children’s book "The Sissy Duckling."
A recipient of the 1997 Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award, the 1998 Songwriters' Fellowship Award, the 1998 ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the 2000 Second Stage Constance Klinsky Award, The Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Commendation Award and, in 2001, The Jonathan Larson and Kleban awards, John Bucchino has written songs for the musicals The Artist at 40, Urban Myths, 3hree and Lavender Girl as well as the animated film "Joseph, King of Dreams." His CDs include "Grateful, The Songs of John Bucchino" and "Solitude Lessons."