The Scottsboro Boys has set a date for Broadway. After concluding a limited engagement at the Guthrie Theatre in September, the new musical, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, will begin performances on October 7 at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. Opening night is set for October 31.
The Scottsboro Boys features music and lyrics by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, a book by David Thompson. It is based on the notorious “Scottsboro” case in the 1930s, where 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 tuner played off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre earlier this year, running from March 10 through April 18, 2010. The original musical was recently honored with the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. It has been nominated for nine 2010 Drama Desk Awards and one 2010 Broadway.com Audience Award.
Casting is still to be announced.