“Crazy Rich Asians” is stage-bound. Kevin Kwan’s 2014 book trilogy — and the Warner Bros. big-screen adaptation — is in the works as a musical, with ambitions toward Broadway. Jon M. Chu, director of the 2018 film, is attached as helmer of the musical, which is being produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.
The “Crazy Rich Asians” musical will feature a book by Leah Nanako Winkler, music by Tony Award nominee Helen Park and lyrics by Tat Tong and Tony nominee Amanda Green. “Crazy Rich Asians” takes a fun, engaging look at what can happen when young love collides with old money.
While the Broadway premiere of a “Crazy Rich Asians” musical would mark Chu’s Main Stem directorial debut, he has plenty of experience in the realm of storytelling through music. He directed the 2021 film version of the Broadway musical “In the Heights” and is the director of the upcoming two-part “Wicked” film, set to debut in its first part later this year.
Winkler is a veteran writer whose plays include “God Said This,” “Two Mile Hollow,” “Kentucky,” “Hot Asian Doctor Husband” and “The Brightest Thing in the World.” “Crazy Rich Asians” would also mark her first Broadway credit.
Park is the composer, lyricist and arranger of the 2022 Broadway musical “KPOP,” for which she received a 2023 Tony nomination for Best Original Score. Her other songwriting credits include the 2017 Off-Broadway staging of “KPOP” as well as “Sesame Street the Musical.”
Tong is a record producer and songwriter who is a member of the production-writing duo The Swaggernautz with “American Idol” alum Jovany Javier. As a producer-songwriter, Tong’s discography includes artists like Luis Fonsi, Troye Sivan, Hailee Steinfeld and Monsta X.
Green is a twice-Tony-nominated songwriter for the music and lyrics of 2013’s “Hands on a Hardbody” and the lyrics to 2022’s “Mr. Saturday Night.” Her Broadway lyricist credits also include 2006’s “High Fidelity” and 2012’s “Bring It On.”
The timeline for a pre-Broadway engagement of the “Crazy Rich Asians” musical will be announced.
Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures operates under the supervision of executive vice president and managing director Mark Kaufman. The company was most recently represented as lead producer on Broadway’s “Beetlejuice.”
