The new musical “Beaches” will launch a pre-Broadway national tour in fall 2026. “Beaches” features a book by Iris Rainer Dart and Thom Thomas, music by Grammy Award winner Mike Stoller and lyrics by Dart. Tony Award nominee Lonny Price will direct the musical, with Matt Cowart as co-director and Jennifer Rias as choreographer.
The tour is being produced by Jennifer Maloney-Prezioso, Douglas McJannet for Arden Entertainment, Alison Spiriti for Right Angle Entertainment, Tracey McFarland and Ryan Bogner for Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Next Table Entertainment & Media and Crossroads Live.
The musical is adapted from Dart’s 1985 novel of the same name, which inspired the 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. “Beaches” chronicles the decades-long friendship of Cee Cee Bloom and Bertie White from adolescence through adulthood. Despite the different paths their lives take, Cee Cee and Bertie keep in touch, often reuniting through the years at the beach.
“It is a great honor to bring ‘Beaches’ to theaters around the country on our pre-Broadway tour,” said Maloney-Prezioso in a statement. “We can’t wait to share this love story about friendship with US presenters, Broadway, the West End and audiences around the globe.”
Rounding out the creative team for “Beaches,” which was developed in collaboration with David Austin, are music supervisor Joseph Thalken, music director Katie Coleman and Tony-winning orchestrator Charlie Rosen.
“Beaches” has received several previous mountings, including a world premiere at Signature Theatre in Virginia and a later staging Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, both of which featured music by Austin. A 2024 production at Theatre Calgary in Alberta, Canada, which debuted the new music by Stoller, featured Kelli Barrett as Bertie and Jessica Vosk as Cee Cee.
Casting, by the TRC Company and Peter Van Dam, full production team and the tour’s itinerary will be announced.
