Alicia Keys, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul to Exec Produce Showtime Musical Drama

Elaine Low

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There’s music in the air for Showtime. The premium cable network has made a series commitment to a yet-to-be-titled musical drama series executive produced by Alicia Keys, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

The series, which will be produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, “traverses generations to tell an emotionally complex family story that interweaves modern-day and 1959 Detroit, centering on a mystery uncovered by a young musician who moves back to her childhood home,” according to the network.

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Pasek and Paul, the songwriting team behind “La La Land,” “The Greatest Showman” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” will contribute music to the series. “The SpongeBob Musical’s” Kyle Jarrow will write and executive produce. Marc Platt, whose deep well of credits includes “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “The Band’s Visit” and “La La Land,” will executive produce alongside “Nashville” exec producer R.J. Cutler and “Grease: Live!” producer Adam Siegel.

“We have always been intrigued by the prospect of doing a SHOWTIME musical series, but only if the songs could add to the depth and complexity of a great character drama. Nobody does that better than Pasek and Paul and Marc Platt…so when they came to us along with a global superstar like Alicia, a talented writer like Kyle, and excellent producers like Adam and R.J., we were all in,” said Showtime president of entertainment Gary Levine.

The team collectively has dozens of accolades on their shelves. Keys is a 15-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. A musician, producer, actress, author and activist, she has been on screen in “The Secret Life of Bees,” “The Nanny Diaries,” “Empire” and other productions. She also exec produced “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete.”

Pasek and Paul won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for “La La Land,” a Golden Globe and Grammy for “The Greatest Showman” and a Tony and Grammy for “Dear Evan Hansen.” Jarrow’s “SpongeBonb SquarePants” was nominated for a Tony, while his “A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant” won an Obie.

Platt won two Emmys for “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” and “Grease Live!,” a Tony for “The Band’s Visit,” and earned Oscar nods for “La La Land” and “Bridge of Spies.” Cutler has an Emmy for “American High,” and Emmy and BAFTA noms for “Listen to Me Marlon.” Siegel won an Emmy for “Grease Live!”.

Keys is represented by Keith Sarkisian, Sam Kirby and Tony Goldring at WME. Jarrow, Platt, Cutler, Paul and Pasek are repped by CAA. Jarrow is also repped by Literate, Paul and Pasek by Kraft-Engel and Cutler by Lighthouse.

(Pictured: Alicia Keys, Kyle Jarrow)

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