’10 Things I Hate About You’ Musical Headed to Broadway
Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen are adapting the beloved 1999 rom-com for the stage.
Broadway is getting a fresh dose of '90s nostalgia—with a musical twist. Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen are joining forces to bring a stage adaptation of the 1999 teen rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You to life, Billboard reports.
The film, a fan favorite starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, is being reimagined for the stage with Jepsen co-writing the score alongside producer Ethan Gruska, her collaborator on the album The Loveliest Time. Dunham is co-writing the script (known in theater as the "book") with acclaimed playwright Jessica Huang.
The creative team behind the adaptation is packed with Broadway talent. Two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon will direct and choreograph. Tom Kitt, also a two-time Tony winner, is on board as music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator. Producer Mike Bosner—whose credits include Shucked and Beautiful – The Carole King Musical—is producing the show in collaboration with Buena Vista Theatrical.
As Billboard notes, “‘10 Things I Hate About You,’ a retelling of William Shakespeare’s 1594 play ‘The Taming of the Shrew,’ launched the careers of Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and showcased a breakout performance by Alison Janney. The film was a box office hit and gained cult status thanks to its keen and witty examination of teenage life in a 1990s Seattle suburb and the nuanced portrayal of sisters Kat and Bianca Stratford.”
In addition to this musical, Dunham has a busy slate ahead. She’s set to launch a new Netflix series called Too Much later this year, is writing a film about Sam Bankman-Fried for Apple and A24, and will write and direct the romantic comedy Good Sex starring Natalie Portman.
An official opening date and theater for the 10 Things I Hate About You musical have yet to be announced, but with a team like this, it's a production worth keeping an eye on.
