Lena Waithe, Debbie Allen and More Collaborating on Broadway-Bound Musical Adaptation of the Disney Film Polly

Producer Brian Anthony Moreland announced the development of Polly: The Musical, a new Broadway-bound production based on the Disney television movie with teleplay by William Blinn and the novel Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. The stage adaptation will feature a book by Emmy Award winner Lena Waithe and Michael Benjamin Washington, music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Siedah Garrett and Joriah Kwamé, and direction and choreography by two-time Tony nominee Debbie Allen, who directed the original 1989 film.

Polly is set in Alabama in the 1950s where Polly, a plucky orphan with a relentless sense of optimism, is forced to contend with negativity and conflict in a small town under segregation. The 1989 film featured Keshia Knight-Pulliam, Phylicia Rashad and the final film performance from Butterfly McQueen, and was followed by a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin’ Home.

"The message of Polly is one that we need today more than ever," said Allen in a statement. "That the power of a single positive voice can make change in the face of adversity and divisiveness; that the voice of a child could bring unity and hope—is what Polly is about. This musical, with its joy and its unbridled hope, will shine a light on a path for every audience to find unity in their community.”