Rocker John Mellencamp and horror master Stephen King hope to bring their musical, The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, to New York, according to ShowBiz411.com. Directed by Susan V. Booth and featuring musical direction by T. Bone Burnett, the musical will hold a 10-day presentation in New York in September. After years in development, the show recently made its world premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theater in April.
The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County features music and lyrics by Mellencamp and a book by King, and centers on the story of a 1957 tragedy that haunts a small Mississippi town. The show is billed as "a Southern gothic tale fraught with mystery, tragedy and ghosts of the past."
There is no word yet whether the Atlanta production's stars Emily Skinner, Tony winner Shuler Hensley, American Idol vet Justin Guarini and musician Jake La Botz will reprise their roles. The cast also featured Lucas Kavner, Kate Ferber, Christopher Morgan and country musician Dale Watson, as well as Peter Albrink, Kylie Brown, Lori Beth Edgeman, Gwen Hughes, Joe Jung, Joe Knezevich, Rob Lawhon, Royce Mann and Travis Smith.
The show, which was first announced in 2001, was originally slated to be part of Atlanta’s Alliance Theater’s 2008-2009 season. Liv Ullmann had previously been attached as director. A recording of the musical featuring Kris Kristofferson, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Neko Case, Sheryl Crow and Mellencamp was also announced for release in 2010, but never came to fruition.