Lysistrata Jones, New Musical Comedy from Douglas Carter Beane, Headed to Broadway

Lysistrata Jones, a new musical comedy from Tony nominee Douglas Carter Beane (Sister Act, Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed) is headed to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre following a successful off-Broadway run. The show will begin previews on November 12 and open on December 14, directed and choreographed by Dan Knechtges. Casting will be announced shortly.

Loosely based on Aristophanes’ classic comedy Lysistrata, the musical features a book by Beane and a score by Lewis Flinn (The Divine Sister). The action centers on the Athens University basketball team, which hasn’t won a game in 30 years. But when spunky transfer student Lysistrata Jones dares the squad’s fed-up girlfriends to stop “giving it up” until their boyfriends win a game, their legendary losing streak could be coming to an end. Lyssie J. and her girl-power posse give this Greek classic comedy a sexy, modern twist and take student activism to a whole new level.

Lysistrata Jones was originally produced by the Dallas Theater Center in January 2010 (under the title Give It Up!) and opened to positive reviews on June 5, 2011, in a Transport Group production at the Gym at Judson Memorial Church featuring Patti Murin in the title role. Beane wrote about the show and his work on the Broadway production of Sister Act in a recent First Person essay for Broadway.com.

Set design for the Broadway production will be by Allen Moyer, costume design is by David C. Woolard and Thomas Charles LeGalley, lighting design is by Michael Gottlieb, and sound design is by Tony Meola. The music director is Brad Simmons and the associate choreographer is Jessica Hartman. Lead producers of Lysistrata Jones are Paul Herold and Alan Wasser.