It’s official: The West End musical adaptation of Ghost is headed for Broadway in March 2012. Confirming previous reports, the show’s producers have announced that Ghost will open at a yet-to-be-determined Nederlander theater in April, directed by Matthew Warchus, who staged the production that opened on July 19 at London’s Piccadilly Theatre. Casting will be announced at a later date.
Ghost follows a young couple, Sam and Molly, who get mugged while walking home to their New York apartment one night. Sam is murdered and becomes trapped in this world as a ghost, unable to leave Molly, who he learns is in grave danger. With the help of a phony storefront psychic, Oda Mae Brown, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving and protecting her. The London cast also includes Hair vet Caissie Levy as Molly, Richard Fleeshman as Sam and Sharon D. Clarke as Oda Mae.
Ghost features a book by Bruce Joel Rubin (adapted from his screenplay for the hit 1990 film starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg) and a score by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard. The show also features the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” which became the love theme of the movie.
Ghost will have set and costume design by Rob Howell, choreography by Ashley Wallen, musical supervision and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone and projection design by Jon Driscoll.
The Broadway run will be produced by Colin Ingram Productions Limited and David Garfinkle with Adam Silberman; Land Line Productions, Donovan Mannato, Michael Edwards & Carole Winter in association with Paramount Pictures Corporation and ATG/Robert G. Bartner.