"Weird Al" Yankovic Michael Kovac/Getty Images A musical featuring the works of “Weird Al” Yankovic is in the works with creatives behind Moulin Rouge! and Beetlejuice.
Dare to Be Stupid: The Weird Al Musical will feature the songs of the five-time Grammy winner.
Tony winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Oh, Hello) is set to direct the musical, which features an original story by Tony-nominated writing duo Scott Brown and Anthony King (Gutenberg! The Musical!; Beetlejuice) and Yankovic. Tony-winning film and theater production company Seaview is on board to produce.
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The team behind the musical said it will feature songs from Yankovic’s catalog spanning more than four decades, including “White & Nerdy” (a parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’”), “Amish Paradise” (a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”), “Eat It” (a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”), “Smells Like Nirvana” (a parody of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”), and “Like a Surgeon” (a parody of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”).
“Ever since I was a middle-aged man, I’ve always wanted to be a part of the New York theater community,” Yankovic said. “Plus, the one thing people always say about Broadway is that it’s ‘severely lacking in Weird Al-based entertainment,’ and I think this musical should fix that problem immediately.”
Added Timbers: “I first fell in love with Al’s music with the release of ‘Dare to Be Stupid’ and have remained an avid fan ever since. Now, it’s a dream come true to work with one of my comedy heroes bringing an original story set to his beloved songbook to the stage. What Al, Anthony and Scott are creating is unexpected, subversive, meta, and hilarious and I can’t wait for the world to experience it.”
Producer Greg Nobile, CEO of Seaview, said: “Dare to Be Stupid feels like the kind of musical that only comes around once in a while — wildly original, deeply funny and powered by the unmistakable heart that has made ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic a singular voice in American culture. Beneath the absurdity and the joy, is a show about creativity, individuality and the freedom to be unapologetically yourself.”
Additional details for the musical, including production timeline and additional creative team, will be announced soon.
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