Savion Glover and Tony Goldwyn to Co-Direct Pal Joey on Broadway

Pal Joey, the Richard Rodgers, John O’Hara and Lorenz Hart classic musical, will get a reimagined Broadway revival next season. Richard LaGravenese, known for writing the films The Fisher King,The Bridges of Madison County, Behind the Candelabra and more, brings a rewritten book to the musical. Tony Goldwyn and Tony winner Savion Glover will co-direct with Glover serving as choreographer.

Known for its 1957 film adaptation, starring Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth, Pal Joey tells the story of a wise-cracking, womanizing singer who romances a wealthy, lonely widow in an effort to get her to finance a nightclub of his own.

Some of the changes planned for the new production include the primary setting of the plot changing to a South Side Chicago nightclub in the 1940s, instead of the 1930s, and the character of Linda changing from a stenographer/clerk to an aspiring singer.

The musical premiered on Broadway in 1940 and has since had four Broadway revivals, the most recent of which played Studio 54 in 2009 and starred Stockard Channing, Matthew Risch and Martha Plimpton.

The creative team for the new production includes set designer Derek McLane, costume designer Emilio Sosa, lighting designer Natasha Katz and orchestrator/arranger/music supervisor Daryl Waters.

More information, including casting, exact dates and theater, will be announced later.