Diana musical will premiere on Netflix ahead of Broadway debut
First Look: See Actress Jeanna de Waal in Character as Princess Diana in New Broadway Musical
On Monday night, the curtains went up for the first preview of Diana: A True Musical Story
Netflix is getting the royal treatment — and we're not talking about another installment in the Christmas Prince franchise.
On Wednesday, Netflix announced that the Diana musical will premiere on the streaming service next year ahead of its opening on the Broadway stage. The production, which is currently on hiatus due to COVID-19, began previews in March and was scheduled to open later that month at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway. That opening night has now been pushed back to May 25, 2021, but avid Princess Diana fans will have a chance to take in all the glitz and glam before that, with the Netflix recording airing before the stage show makes its debut.
“We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able share our show with theater lovers everywhere," said the Diana producers in a joint statement. "Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide.”
Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade
Directed by Christopher Ashley (Come From Away), Diana will be filmed without an audience on the stage of the Longacre Theater. The production will feature the original Broadway cast including Jeanna de Waal (Kinky Boots, American Idiot) as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles, and Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth II.
Penned by Tony Award-winning writers behind Memphis, Joe DiPietro and David Bryan — who also wrote the music and lyrics — the musical tells of the late Princess of Wales’ life during her marriage to Prince Charles, as well as their eventual divorce.
Diana isn't the only musical getting the stage-to-screen treatment. After the success of Disney+'s taped version of Hamilton, Ryan Murphy has a film adaptation of the Tony-nominated musical The Prom in the works at Netflix with Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, James Corden, and Andrew Rannells confirmed to star. The streaming service has also previously produced an adaptation of Kerry Washington’s American Son as well as filmed versions of Springsteen on Broadway and Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s Oh, Hello. Diana, however, will be the first of these to be screened via Netflix before its Broadway bow.
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