“Lempicka,” the Carson Kreitzer/Matt Gould musical that had its pre-Broadway tryout at La Jolla Playhouse in July 2022, will open on Broadway next spring, becoming the fifth Playhouse-born production making its New York debut this season.
“Lempicka” is the story of 1920s-era art deco painter Tamara de Lempicka. It played here in summer 2022. The production, with direction by Rachel Chavkin, choreography by Raja Feather Kelly and a lead performance by Eden Espinosa, will open in previews March 19 at the Longacre Theatre in Manhattan. Opening night is April 14.
The Greasers gang in La Jolla Playhouse’s world premiere musical “The Outsiders.”
(Courtesy of Rich Soublet II)
“Lempicka” will open almost simultaneously with the Playhouse-born musical “The Outsiders,” which will open in previews March 16 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in Manhattan, with an opening night set for April 11. “The Outsiders,” written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine and composers Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) and Levine, had its world premiere last February at the Playhouse.
Grant James Varjas, left, and Charlie Thurston in La Jolla Playhouse’s “Here There are Blueberries.”
(Rich Soublet II)
Two other recent Playhouse-born shows are also opening off Broadway this season. The Playhouse-Tectonic Theater Project co-production of “Here There Are Blueberries,” which played here in August 2022, will open next April at New York Theatre Workshop. And the Jenn Freeman-Sonya Tayeh dance-theater piece “Is It Thursday Yet,” presented in La Jolla this past July, will open at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in December.
Jenn Freeman is the star and co-creator/choreographer of “Is It Thursday Yet?” at La Jolla Playhouse. The dance-theater piece is inspired by Freeman’s own experience being diagnosed with autism just three years ago.
(Cloud artwork by Lola Jiblazee/Photo by Art Davison)
Meanwhile, two musicals that were born at the La Jolla Playhouse decades ago are also headed to Broadway this season — though in new productions.
The Barry Manilow musical “Harmony,” born at the Playhouse in 1997, is now in previews for its Broadway premiere at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Finally, “The Who’s Tommy,” which premiere at the Playhouse in 1992 and made its Broadway premiere in 1993, is about to return to Broadway. It will open in previews March 8 in a new revival production directed by its Tony-winning original director Des McAnuff, but this time at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
Playhouse artistic director Christopher Ashley talked about the unusual constellation of Playhouse-born shows filling theaters in the spring.
“We are overjoyed that so many La Jolla Playhouse-developed works — from our recent productions of ‘Lempicka,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Here There Are Blueberries’ and ‘Is It Thursday Yet?’, to earlier shows like ‘Harmony’ and ‘The Who’s Tommy’ — are finding a home on Broadway and beyond this season,” Ashley said. “I am immensely proud of the passion and dedication of our staff and board, as well as the tremendous support from our subscribers and donors, all of whom have helped us bring these new works to life and cement the Playhouse’s reputation as the place to look for what’s next in American theatre.”
With the openings of “The Outsiders” and “Lempicka,” La Jolla Playhouse will have officially sent 35 shows to Broadway since it was revitalized in 1983 on the UCSD campus.
