ST. LOUIS — Stages St. Louis will host a new musical in 2022 before it heads to Broadway. And the theater organization's win of the international project should establish St. Louis as a "tryout" city for new productions, officials said.
"The Karate Kid, The Musical," based on the hit Columbia Pictures movie, will have a limited run from May 25 through June 26, 2022, at the 530-seat Ross Family Theatre at the new Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, officials announced Wednesday.
The new musical will be part of Stages St. Louis' 2022 season. Stages' Jack Lane, executive producer, and Michael Hamilton, artistic director, will join the musical's development team in bringing it to St. Louis.
Producers of "The Karate Kid, The Musical" are Naoya Kinoshita (Kinoshita Group), Kumiko Yoshii and Michael Wolk. The musical's "book" is by Robert Kamen, who modeled it after his original semi-autobiographical movie screenplay, with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini. The production will be directed by Japanese director Amon Miyamoto and choreographed by MTV VMA nominees Keone and Mari Madrid.
“We are truly honored to be squarely between the crossroads of Tokyo and New York City and telling this universal story of understanding and acceptance,” Lane said in a statement. “We cannot think of a better show to help launch not just Stages, but the St. Louis region, as a brand new pre-Broadway tryout destination.”
"The Karate Kid, The Musical" will feature set design by Tony and two-time Emmy Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by three-time Yomiuri Theater Grand Prize winner Ayako Maeda, lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Bradley King, sound design by Tony Award winner Kai Harada, orchestrations by three-time Tony Award nominee John Clancy, and music direction and arrangements by Andrew Resnick.
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