John Doyle & Jon Batiste at Work on New Broadway Musical Based on Life of Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
(Photo: Bruce Glikas)
A new musical is in development charting the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, who is widely considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century. The Broadway-bound show is to feature an original score by Jon Batiste (bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and direction by Tony winner John Doyle (The Color Purple). The pair is working closely with the Basquiat Estate and have secured the rights to Basquiat's artwork and personal archives.
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Jon Batiste to bring to life the world of Jean-Michel Basquiat," said Doyle in a statement. "Exploring his 1980s New York City will help us access the connections Basquiat made through the extraordinary body of work he created in his short lifetime."
Basquiat's career in art spanned the late 1970s through the 1980s until his death in 1988 at the age of 27. Before his career as a painter, he produced punk-inspired postcards for sale on the street and became known for political-poetical graffiti under the name of SAMO. Since his death, his artworks have been the focus of major museum shows worldwide.
Additional creative team members and a production schedule for the musical will be announced at a later date.