Members of The National have taken on a new side project writing the music and lyrics to a new adaptation of the play Cyrano de Bergerac. Written by Edmond Rostand in 1897, the theatrical performance follows the titular character, the poet Cyrano, as he explores his love of music and poetry while being plagued with a crippling sense of self-doubt in pursuing romance.
Written and directed by Erica Schmidt, the unrequited love story adaptation boasts music by The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner with lyrics by frontman Matt Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser. Cyrano de Bergerac will take the stage from August 3 to September 2 through Connecticut’s Goodspeed Musicals. More information will be made available in the coming months.
Cyrano de Bergerac isn’t the only new project the band is parsing out for 2018; they announced the lineup for their inaugural Homecoming festival — set to take place in their actual hometown of Cincinnati — including acts like Julien Baker, Moses Sumney, The Breeders, Future Islands, and Father John Misty. The National recently won Best Alternative Album for Sleep Well Beast, beating out records by Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, Father John Misty, and LCD Soundsystem and making it the first Grammy win in the band’s history.
