Tony-Winning Director Joe Mantello Boards New Sondheim Musical Bunuel

Tony-winning director Joe Mantello is at the helm of the new Stephen Sondheim and David Ives musical based on two movies by surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel, according to The New York Post. Following a reading earlier this year, their new project is poised to continue its development at the Public Theater and beyond.

A full workshop presentation of Buñuel is set to take place in March 2017, with a potential off-Broadway production scheduled at the Public that fall. The Post also reported that mega-producer Scott Rudin is attached to the title, indicating that Broadway could be on the horizon for the musical, which is inspired by Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel.

A private reading at the Public in August featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Shuler Hensley, Sierra Boggess, Nancy Opel and Marc Kudisch. At that time, the Public said in a statement, “We are happily developing the Buñuel project with Stephen Sondheim and hope to present it in the near future, but no set date has been confirmed."