Elton John Bio-Musical in the Works for Broadway & West End, But We 'Think It's Gonna Be a Long, Long Time'

Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road and hello, Great White Way? An on-stage Elton John bio-musical has its eyes set on Broadway and then the West End, according to The Sun. The project, currently titled Rocketman the Musical, will feature the classic rock legend’s canon and has Tony-winning Billy Elliot book writer Lee Hall on board.

Initial casting and a detailed timeline for the project have not yet been revealed. Old Vic Theatre Chief Executive Sally Greene said to The Sun that the forthcoming biopic of the same name is the priority, and the stage project will follow. Mad Max: Fury Road’s Tom Hardy has been tapped headline the film.

John, born Reginald Dwight, began writing songs with Bernie Taupin in 1967. Their second album, 1970’s Elton John, featured the singles “Young Song” and “Border Song.” Their additional hits together include “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Candle in the Wind,” which was written in honor of the late Marilyn Monroe. John wed his longtime partner David Furnish in December 2014.

The five-time Grammy winner is of course no stranger to having his work on the theatrical stage. In 2000, he won a Tony Award for the score of Aida, and also wrote music for Billy Elliot, Lestat and The Lion King. The latter’s source material (the 1994 Disney animated film) earned him three Oscar nominations; he won for the song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”