Happy Trails! Musical Bio of Screen Cowboy Roy Rogers in the Works

A new musical based on the life and music of screen cowboy Roy Rogers is in development, spearheaded by Jersey Boys librettist and Oscar-winning Annie Hall screenwriter Marshall Brickman. The unnamed show is aiming to reach Broadway in late 2014, opening early in 2015. No casting or other creative team members have been announced.

Long before his name became synonymous with a chain of fast food restaurants, Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) reigned at “King of the Cowboys” as the star of more than 100 films and the long-running TV series The Roy Rogers Show. Equally popular was Rogers’ wife, Dale Evans (dubbed “Queen of the West”), and his golden palomino, Trigger. At the height of his fame, Rogers graced more than 2.5 billion boxes of Post cereal, and the Roy Rogers brand has generated $1 billion in revenue. He died in 1998.

The forthcoming musical will presumably feature Rogers’ theme song “Happy Trails,” as well as western music he performed on screen. The show is being produced by the Roy Rogers Family Entertainment Corporation, Happy Trails LLC and the Spangler Group.