Sheryl Crow will write the music and lyrics for an upcoming musical adaptation of the 1982 film “Diner” on Broadway, according to the New York Times. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter joins Barry Levinson, the director of the original film, who will pen the stage adaptation. Kathleen Marshall, who has so far won three Tony Awards for her choreography, will direct and choreograph the production.
“I was already a huge fan of ‘Diner” when Barry first approached me about writing a score for a theatrical retelling of his film,” said Crow in a statement. “I knew exactly who these men and women were and I feverishly began writing.”
“Diner” tells the story of a group of old high school friends who reconnect at a wedding and struggle to maintain their camaraderie in the face of adulthood. The original film was written and directed by Levinson and starred Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly, Ellen Barkin and Paul Reiser. Levinson was nominated for an Academy Award for Original Screenplay for the film, which served as a career launching pad for several of its young stars.
Though no theater has yet been named for the production, which will premiere sometime in 2012, an out-of-town tryout is planned for next summer.
This will serve as Crow’s first outing on Broadway. The singer’s last album, “100 Miles from Memphis”, was her lowest-selling effort to date, with U.S. sales of around 150,000 copies. She has an eighth studio album planned for release early next year.