The 1995 coming-of-age teen film Empire Records, might just be one of my favorite films of the 90s. I love that movie and it embodies so many things that I loved about that era. For those of you who are fans of the film as well, you might be interested in knowing that you might be able to celebrate Rex Manning Day on Broadway in the near future as the movie is being adapted into a Broadway musical.
You know what, it's not really that hard to imagine this story being adapted into a musical. It might actually work. It's being written by original Empire Records writer Carol Heikkinen and it's being produced by Bill Weiner. The music and lyrics will be written by Zoe Sarnak.
The original film, which was directed by Allan Moyle starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth.
You know what, it's not really that hard to imagine this story being adapted into a musical. It might actually work. It's being written by original Empire Records writer Carol Heikkinen and it's being produced by Bill Weiner. The music and lyrics will be written by Zoe Sarnak.
The original film, which was directed by Allan Moyle starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth.
- 4/9/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Empire Records, the 1995 music-stuffed cult film set in a record store has been acquired for stage adaptation and is being developed for Broadway by producer Bill Weiner, who’ll work with the film’s original writer Carol Heikkinen, with new music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant winner for her upcoming musical Afterwords.
A 2020 premiere is being targeted, to coincide with the film’s 25th anniversary.
Released in 1995 by New Regency, Empire Records starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth, directed by Allan Moyle. Though not particularly a critical or commercial hit at the time, the movie was later described by BuzzFeed as “the film of a generation” and “the teen-movie equivalent of the mid-‘90s alt-rock zeitgeist… a film that managed, however oddly, to capture the ineffable feeling of being a quasi-alienated teenager in a very specific time.
A 2020 premiere is being targeted, to coincide with the film’s 25th anniversary.
Released in 1995 by New Regency, Empire Records starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth, directed by Allan Moyle. Though not particularly a critical or commercial hit at the time, the movie was later described by BuzzFeed as “the film of a generation” and “the teen-movie equivalent of the mid-‘90s alt-rock zeitgeist… a film that managed, however oddly, to capture the ineffable feeling of being a quasi-alienated teenager in a very specific time.
- 4/6/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In honor of Rex Manning Day this Sunday, April 8, producer Bill Weiner just announced the acquisition of the theatrical stage rights to the beloved cult-hit 1995 film Empire Records, with plans to adapt the story for the Broadway stage as a musical. The film's original writer Carol HeikkinenCenter Stage will adapt her screenplay for the stage, with new music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant winner for her upcoming musicalAfterwords. Empire Records is targeting a 2020 premiere, in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary.
- 4/6/2018
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Just in time for Rex Manning Day on Sunday, producer Bill Weiner announced plans to develop a stage musical based on the 1995 film “Empire Records.” Did you think we would all just fade away?
Original screenwriter Carol Heikkinen (“Center Stage”) will write the stage adaptation, with new music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant winner for her upcoming musical “Afterwords.” Other members of the creative team will be announced at a later date.
Director Allan Moyle’s teen comedy, which starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth, has developed a cult following over the years for its depiction of mid-’90s alt-rock fandom.
Also Read: '90s Flashback: 'Empire Records' Ethan Embry on Rex Manning Day and Playing Lily Tomlin's Son in New Netflix Series
The film was set at Empire Records, last of the independent small-town record stores, as its tight-knit teenage employees gear up for a promotional event for washed-up music star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield).
Hearing that the shop may be sold to a big chain, slacker employee Lucas (Cochrane) places a big bet with a chunk of the store’s money, hoping to get a big return and save the store. When the plan fails, Empire Records falls into serious trouble, and the teens must find a way to fend off the encroaching Music Town overlords.
“The movie was really about a family that formed among these minimum-wage record clerks,” Heikkinen said in a statement. “There’s a lot of nostalgia now for those old record stores where you could go and talk to people who loved the same music you loved, and discover new bands. We hope the musical will capture the memory of what it was like to be young in a time before iTunes and Spotify — music is such an important part of the youth experience, and it’s what brings these characters together.”
Also Read: Broadway's Revival Fever: Do Old Shows Still Play in #MeToo Era? (Guest Blog)
Sarnak added, “I first saw ‘Empire Records’ when my older sister brought it home on VHS…. Over the years, I watched it again and again because that cast — those characters — were my idea of the coolest misfits. Teenagers who loved music as much as I did, and still do.”
Weiner, who jump-started New Regency’s theatrical stage business and served as the studio’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel for 23 years, said: “I am beyond thrilled to bring this iconic film to the Broadway stage.”
Read original story ‘Empire Records’ to Become Broadway-Bound Musical – Just in Time for Rex Manning Day At TheWrap...
Original screenwriter Carol Heikkinen (“Center Stage”) will write the stage adaptation, with new music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grant winner for her upcoming musical “Afterwords.” Other members of the creative team will be announced at a later date.
Director Allan Moyle’s teen comedy, which starred Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Lapaglia, Robin Tunney, Rory Cochrane, Ethan Embry and Johnny Whitworth, has developed a cult following over the years for its depiction of mid-’90s alt-rock fandom.
Also Read: '90s Flashback: 'Empire Records' Ethan Embry on Rex Manning Day and Playing Lily Tomlin's Son in New Netflix Series
The film was set at Empire Records, last of the independent small-town record stores, as its tight-knit teenage employees gear up for a promotional event for washed-up music star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield).
Hearing that the shop may be sold to a big chain, slacker employee Lucas (Cochrane) places a big bet with a chunk of the store’s money, hoping to get a big return and save the store. When the plan fails, Empire Records falls into serious trouble, and the teens must find a way to fend off the encroaching Music Town overlords.
“The movie was really about a family that formed among these minimum-wage record clerks,” Heikkinen said in a statement. “There’s a lot of nostalgia now for those old record stores where you could go and talk to people who loved the same music you loved, and discover new bands. We hope the musical will capture the memory of what it was like to be young in a time before iTunes and Spotify — music is such an important part of the youth experience, and it’s what brings these characters together.”
Also Read: Broadway's Revival Fever: Do Old Shows Still Play in #MeToo Era? (Guest Blog)
Sarnak added, “I first saw ‘Empire Records’ when my older sister brought it home on VHS…. Over the years, I watched it again and again because that cast — those characters — were my idea of the coolest misfits. Teenagers who loved music as much as I did, and still do.”
Weiner, who jump-started New Regency’s theatrical stage business and served as the studio’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel for 23 years, said: “I am beyond thrilled to bring this iconic film to the Broadway stage.”
Read original story ‘Empire Records’ to Become Broadway-Bound Musical – Just in Time for Rex Manning Day At TheWrap...
- 4/6/2018
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Matthew Morrison, Rachel Bloom, Wayne Brady and cast members of Hamilton, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and The Band’s Visit will be among the Broadway and TV performers in a one-night-only Florida benefit concert for victims and survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Some of the songs have been written by Msd students in collaboration with pro composers.
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Parkland, USA, announced today, is set for Monday, April 16 at the Bb&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The benefit follows similar From Broadway With Love concerts held after the Pulse nightclub and Sandy Hook shootings.
This time, though, the concert will include some songs that were written by Stoneman Douglas students in collaboration with such pro composers as Joe Iconis, Bobby Cronin, Zoe Sarnak and Drew Gasparini. Additional songs were written solely by the students.
Also planned is a special performance by the...
From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert For Parkland, USA, announced today, is set for Monday, April 16 at the Bb&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The benefit follows similar From Broadway With Love concerts held after the Pulse nightclub and Sandy Hook shootings.
This time, though, the concert will include some songs that were written by Stoneman Douglas students in collaboration with such pro composers as Joe Iconis, Bobby Cronin, Zoe Sarnak and Drew Gasparini. Additional songs were written solely by the students.
Also planned is a special performance by the...
- 4/3/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The American Theatre Wing Heather Hitchens, President amp CEO announced today that the 2018 Jonathan Larson Grants recipients areJay Adana music and lyrics, Andrew R. Butler amp Andrew Farmer music, lyrics, and book, Emily Kaczmarek amp Zoe Sarnak music, lyrics, and book, and Mark Sonnenblickmusic and lyrics. Four prestigious, unrestricted grants of 10,000 each, as well as additional support in the form of residencies, concerts, and recording grants, totaling over 48,000, will be presented on Monday, March 19, 2018 at a private event at the Wnyc Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients' work.
- 2/15/2018
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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