'Crazy Rich Asians' Getting The Broadway Musical Treatment!

For any of you who loved Crazy Rich Asians but thought to yourself, “This needs more musical numbers,” I have excellent news for you!

The crazy popular 2018 rom-com, which was based on Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel of the same name, is currently being developed into a Broadway musical!

For this production, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is keeping things close to home, partnering with novelist Kwan and tapping the film’s director Jon M. Chu to helm the musical as well. This would mark Chu’s Broadway debut, but he is certainly no stranger to the musical game, having already directed big stage-to-screen adaptations of In The Heights and the upcoming Wicked movie.

The Crazy Rich Asians film and book is about a middle-class Asian-American woman, Rachel, who meets the man of her dreams, Nick, but when she travels with him to Singapore to attend his relative’s wedding, she learns that not only is his family one of the wealthiest in the country, he is also the heir to the family fortune. Not surprisingly, Rachel is met with some pushback from Nick’s ultra-upper class family, particularly his mother. The movie is notable not just for its sharp, witty dialogue but also its gorgeous production design and location filming in Singapore and Malaysia. It’s a very colorful film, and its over-the-top scope lends itself easily to a musical treatment. There is already lots of music and dancing featured in the film, so the stage team has a good headstart to work with!

Reportedly, the stage adaptation will also be incorporating elements from all 3 books in the Kwan’s trilogy; the sequels are entitled China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.

The musical’s book will be written by Leah Nanako Winkler, a noted playwright who has also done some television writing, while the music will be written by Helen Park (Broadway’s KPOP and music producer for U.K. animated series “Isadora Moon”) with lyrics by Amanda Green (co-lyricist with Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Bring It On musical) and Tat Tong (platinum-selling Singaporean producer and songwriter). Definitely sounds like a dream team they’ve put together for this project!

Stay tuned!