A Whitney Houston Broadway Musical is in the Works
On the heels of the 10th anniversary of Whitney Houston’s death, her estate is turning out more projects than ever before. A biopic will be released this Christmas, making it the first authorized one for the beloved icon since her passing. Now, there are plans to turn the biopic into a Broadway musical. The estate revealed that its part of a major campaign to celebrate a milestone in Houston’s life.
The estate has reportedly partnered with a Broadway veteran producer to help produce the musical
Houston’s estate is currently in production for the first authorized biopic on the singer’s life and career. The film, titled after her 1987 hit single “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” stars Naomi Ackie as Houston and features Stanley Tucci and Tamara Tunie. Following the biopic, a Broadway musical adaptation is slated to be in the making. The biopic is slated for release this year.
Houston’s sister-in-law, Pat Houston, who is the executor of her estate, confirmed the news in an interview with Variety. In order to bring the musical to life, the estate has teamed up with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child producer Sonia Friedman. It’s part of a larger vision to expand her estate to new heights.
“It was time to rebuild Whitney’s business and Primary Wave, with its arsenal of industry professionals, were the right fit, a team packaged to elevate Whitney’s legacy to the next level,” Pat told the publication. Pat managed Houston for a decade, up until Houston’s 2012 death.
According to an official description of the film, the biopic is a “joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom. While being very frank about the price that super-stardom exacted, it will be both the rich and complex saga of the search for the perfect marriage between song and singer and audience, and at the same time the moving tale of a simple Jersey girl trying to find her way back home.”
Several other projects are in the works
Aside from the biopic and musical, the estate is prepping for a major campaign to coincide with what would have been Houston’s 60th birthday in 2023. A Las Vegas tribute show is also in the cards. Additionally, two full albums are said to be released in 2023, as well as an accompanying soundtrack for the biopic this year.
“Clive [Davis] will indeed be involved with the soundtrack,” says Primary Wave founder and CEO Larry. Primary Wave works with Houston’s estate to execute such plans. “He is not currently involved with Broadway show or Vegas concept, but he is always welcome to participate in anything we do involving Whitney and her music. He has been a critical partner in the movie project.”
In the three years since Houston’s estate has worked with Primary Wave, the estate has benefited from major earnings and unprecedented growth. A makeup collaboration with MAC Cosmetics is coming soon. The estate has also released a greatest hits live album and accompanying DVD, a special edition vinyl and program book for the 35th anniversary of Houston’s debut album, more merchandise, and a host of others. A doll-line was also recently released in Target stores around the country.
Despite some fans’ objections, there’s a European hologram tour set to begin. There are plans to bring the tour to the U.S.
