A Broadway-bound adaptation of the 2006 animated film “Happy Feet” is newly in development. The new musical features a creative team of Broadway alums, including two-time Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden, book writer Douglas Lyons and choreographers Ayodele Casel, Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher “Cree” Grant. The stage adaptation will feature the preexisting music from the original film, with songs by Prince, Stevie Wonder, Queen, the Beach Boys, Paul Anka, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and more.
The film “Happy Feet,” directed by George Miller, is an animated musical comedy centered on an emperor penguin named Mumble who, unlike his peers, expresses himself through dance instead of singing. The film featured an all-star voice cast including Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Hugo Weaving, and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2006.
The “Happy Feet” stage musical is being produced by six-time Tony winner Dori Berinstein, whose Broadway credits include “Legally Blonde,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “The Prom,” “Stereophonic,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Company.”
Arden is a two-time Tony-winning director for “Maybe Happy Ending” and “Parade” (which featured Lyons in the cast); Arden was also Tony-nominated for helming “Once on This Island” and the Deaf West staging of “Spring Awakening.” He is currently helming the new Broadway musical “The Lost Boys.”
Lyons appeared as Riley in Arden’s revival of “Parade.” As a writer, Lyons debuted on Broadway with his 2021 comedy “Chicken & Biscuits,” which received a 2022 GLAAD Media Award nomination. His musical “Beau” recently debuted Off-Broadway. Lyons’ other Broadway acting credits include “Beautiful” and “The Book of Mormon,” the latter for which he also appeared on the national tour.
The “Happy Feet” musical’s design team will include Tony-winning set designer Dane Laffrey, Tony-winning costume designer Susan Hilferty, Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, puppet designer Basil Twist, orchestrator and co-arranger Kenny Seymour and music supervisor and co-arranger Jackson Teeley.
Dates for a debut production, as well as dates and casting, will be announced.
