Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys will transfer to the West End’s Garrick Theatre, following its highly acclaimed run at the Young Vic. Directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, the award-winning production will begin performances on October 4 prior to an October 20 opening night. Casting will be announced at a later date.
The Scottsboro Boys is based on the notorious “Scottsboro” case of the 1930s, in which nine African-American men were unjustly accused of attacking two white women on a train in Alabama. The young men were convicted by an all-white jury and spent years in jail while the case was tried and retried. The musical uses the bygone minstrel show performance style to tell the boys' story and recently came under attack from protestors who did not approve of the minstrel format.
The Scottsboro Boys first played off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre and the Guthrie Theatre prior to opening on Broadway in 2010, earning 12 Tony nominations, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical. The tuner received its London premiere in 2013 and went on to receive the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical.