Today it was introduced that Vivek Tiwary‘s Tiwary Entertainment Group (TEG+) will be adapting Will Eisner’s seminal graphic novel A Contract With God into a Broadway musical.
According to Variety, who broke the story,
“TEG+ has acquired the stage rights to Will Eisner’s graphic novel A Contract With God and is adapting it into a Broadway musical, with new and original songs written by Sam Hollander, Lisa Loeb, Matisyahu, Ryan Miller and Jill Sobule.”
Will Eisner’s A Contract With God is taken into account by many as the primary graphic novel – or not less than the primary comedian overtly marketed as one. Published in 1978, A Contract With God And Other Tenement Stories is about in a New York tenement block of poor Jewish residents with their very own interweaving tales. While fictional, the setting and tales could effectively draw on Eisner’s personal upbringing as a baby of Jewish immigrant mother and father within the early twentieth century. Will Eisner handed away in 2005.
All of the song-writing group on the Contract with God musical are Jewish musicians, composers and songwriters, and writing and recording periods are apparently set to start quickly – nevertheless the e-book author (the one who scripts the present and would work in live performance with the music writing group) has, reportedly, but to be secured.
The music producer main the group is Sam Hollander who’s a prolific songwriter and has a buying checklist of collaborations which have him as author/producer on over 20 US Top 40 Pop Hits. He had beforehand the music producer of 2012 NBC musical drama TV present Smash, and extra just lately as songwriter and music producer on NBC’s Ordinary Joe.
On becoming a member of the mission Hollander mentioned,
“When Vivek [Tiwary] sent me Will Eisner’s A Contract With God, I was instantly floored. Getting the chance to bring this seminal graphic novel to the stage in collaboration with an iconic crew of my talented Jewish pals is just the greatest thrill ever. It’s an amazing way for us all to honor our heritage while bringing this story of the 1930’s New York immigrant struggle to a new audience.”
One curious member of the outfit would be the inclusion of Matisyahu, a (former-Hasidic) Jewish-American rapper, reggae singer, beatboxer and alt rock musician finest identified for 2005 single King Without A Crown. Prior to his involvement with A Contract With God he has not been identified to have labored in musical theatre.
The TEG+ focuses on, in accordance to a Deadline article, “high-profile original music and premier established music catalogs, A-list musicians and composers — creating narrative entertainment for all forms of media and technology including stage, film, TV, NFTs and more.” It was based by producer Vivek J. Tiwary who has been a a part of acclaimed and award profitable productions reminiscent of Jagged Little Pill (based mostly on Alanis Morissette’s album of the identical identify). Tiwary was additionally the author of 2013 graphic novel The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story with artist Andrew Robinson and cartoonist Kyle Baker. The Fifth Beatle is being tailored to TV with Tiwary as author and government producer.
Tiwary, on bringing A Contract With God to the Broadway stage,
“For me, A Contract With God was a formative ground zero for all my creative work. I never met Will Eisner, and still he is one of the great mentors of my life. Like Will, I was born in New York City, a child of immigrants who grew up surrounded by immigrant dreams, both beautiful and frustrating. A Contract with God helped me understand both New York City and myself. I’m thrilled to now work alongside this group of top-notch inspiring Jewish musicians to bring a stage production of A Contract with God to both fans of the graphic novel and to inspire new audiences.”
Other graphic novels and comics tailored from web page to stage embody 1977’s Annie (based mostly on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie cartoon by Harold Gray) and, extra just lately, Alison Bechdel‘s Fun Home, which had its off-Broadway debut in 2013 earlier than making the Broadway leap in 2015 to a lot acclaim and a number of Tony Award nominations and wins, together with Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, and Best Direction.
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