Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk and Anita Greenspan are producing a musical adaptation of the 2007 Nicholas Hornby novel “Slam.”
With executive producer Adam Zotovich, the musical will feature a book by Kyle Jarrow, book writer of the Broadway musical “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and music and lyrics by Mark Mothersbaugh, a film composer and co-founder of the band Devo. Hawk, who is a character in the novel, also plans to develop skate choreography for the musical.
The musical is Broadway-aimed, with the producers looking to the 2020-2021 Broadway season.
“Slam” follows Sam, a teenager with a troubled home life, as he finds out that his girlfriend Alicia is unexpectedly pregnant. He imagines having conversations with Hawk as a way of finding his way through the situation. Though the novel is set in London, the musical will be resetting the story in the U.S.
Hornby is also the author of the novel “High Fidelity,” which was adapted into a musical that premiered on Broadway in 2006.
Greenspan is the founder of the Greenspan Kohan Agency, which represents film composers, music supervisors and classical composers. Zotovich has been a co-producer on several Broadway shows including “Dear Evan Hansen” and “An Act of God.”
This is Hawk’s first foray in theater. His brand encompasses a film production company, a video game franchise, a skateboard and clothing line and a series of sporting goods and toys.
The rest of the creative team will be announced at a later date.
