A new musical featuring the songs of James Taylor is in development.
The project, entitled Fire & Rain, will feature an original story written by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts and direction by Tony Award winner David Cromer.
The show is in early development stages and a production timeline has not yet been announced. Gail Berman, Sam Feldman, Michael Gorfaine and Broadway theater owner Jimmy Nederlander are producing in association with Frank Marshall and Jere Harris.
The title for the show comes from Taylor’s well-known song, “Fire and Rain,” which was released in 1970 on his second album, Sweet Baby James, and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The six-time Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter, whose hit songs include “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Sweet Baby James,” has not previously had his catalog used in a major theatrical production. However, two selections from his album Flag were featured in the musical Working.
Letts wrote the acclaimed play, August: Osage County, in addition to Killer Joe, Bug, which all have been adapted into film, and Superior Donuts, which was adapted in TV series. He has also won a Tony Award for his portrayal of George in the revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and has been seen on screen in films such as Lady Bird, Little Women, The Post and most recently in Saturday Night.
Cromer directed Bug and Man from Nebraska, as well as the 2009 Off-Broadway revival of Our Town, and The Band’s Visit on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award for best direction. He is currently directing Good Night, and Good Luck, starring George Clooney, at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theater.
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