In case you fell behind on the whole “musicians doing musical theater” running list, you’ve got a Depeche Mode musical going down on the Island of Malta, Frank Black in Texas with an adaptation of his own work, and Pet Shop Boys adding their spin to a Hans Christian Andersen story. Well, you can officially make it a trend as another famous name is going all Broadway on us, although this legend’s already known for his overt theatricality: Elton John. Surprising, though, is that his source material involves a pig named Napoleon.
Yes, according to Deadline.com (via the AV Club), Animal Farm, George Orwell’s 1945 Stalinist allegory involving animals taking over a farm, is going to be made into a stage show by John and screenwriter Lee Hall, who had previously worked together on Billy Elliott the Musical. While there are no details yet as to when and where the show will debut, according to the New York Times, it’ll be at least another two years before the musical is actually completed. Add the fact that they’ve already been hard at work on the project, spending the last two years getting all the rights they’ll need, and they’re clearly committed to getting Snowball the stage time he deserves.
As always, stay tuned for more details as they’re announced.