Sara Bareilles Writes For New Broadway Musical ‘The Interestings’ – Billboard

As an increasing number of artists from the pop world add writing a Broadway musical to their career-goal lists, Sara Bareilles stands out as one of many brightest success tales from that group.

Waitress — the musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelly’s beloved unbiased movie, that includes music and lyrics by Bareilles — was an unequivocal Broadway hit, operating for practically 4 years after a gap in April 2016.

That yr, Bareilles’ rating earned her two Tony nominations (out of a complete 4 for the present), and he or she went on to carry out the lead function of Jenna for 3 totally different stints. The manufacturing performed London’s West End in addition to internationally, garnered a Grammy nomination for its authentic Broadway forged recording, and yielded each a standalone Bareilles album (What’s Inside: Songs From Waitress, launched on Epic Records between the present’s off-Broadway and Broadway runs) and a movie of the stage present (which debuted on the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023).

Now, Bareilles — who’s been warmly embraced by the broader theater neighborhood, and racked up one other Tony nomination final yr for her portrayal of The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods — is making her return to Broadway.

She’s writing the music and lyrics for The Interestings, an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel by Meg Wolitzer with a ebook by Pulitzer- and Tony-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl.

The plot of Wolitzer’s novel revolves round character Jules Jacobson and her pals from an unique childhood arts camp (the titular Interestings, as they name themselves) who develop as much as discover various levels of success and satisfaction or disillusionment with the place a artistic life has led them.

When it got here out in 2013, the Times referred to as it “warm, all-American, and acutely perceptive about the motivations of its characters,” likening it to trendy Great American Novels and praising Wolitzer’s “inclusive vision and generous sweep.” With its advanced, layered feminine protagonist and numerous forged of characters, in addition to the knotty themes it explores — starting from what qualifies as success as to whether being extraordinary is the one path to it — the ebook appears wealthy materials for musical adaptation, and it’s simple to see why it appealed to Bareilles, whose Waitress balanced the buoyant with the bittersweet.

The Interestings is being produced by Matt Ross, and is presently in improvement; extra artistic crew and manufacturing particulars can be introduced within the coming months.