Looks like The Crown is about to have some Princess Diana competition.
A little more than two weeks before it was scheduled to open in late March, Diana, the new Broadway musical about the Princess of Wales had to postpone production due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, audiences will reportedly be able to enjoy the show nonetheless, as the show will be filmed and released on Netflix in the near future.
From the Tony-winning writers of Memphis and director Christopher Ashley of Come From Away, Diana is described as a musical about Lady Spencer, "a woman who chose to be fearless, and as a result became timeless." The Broadway cast includes Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles, and Tony winner Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth.
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“We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able share our show with theater lovers everywhere. Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide,” the producers for Diana told ET.
Broadway has been hit hard by the global pandemic, and many have been worried about the economic consequences of shutting down theaters for the better part of a year. Many actors and creatives have tried alternatives to the in-person model, such a Zoom play readings, live-streamed productions and self-filmed one-person shows. But this endeavor would mark the first Broadway show to return to the stage with this new filmed strategy. Netflix, however, has taken an interest in adapting plays for the small screen, and is currently developing Ryan Murphy’s film adaptation of The Prom and the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed Tick, Tick... Boom!
Diana, which made its world premiere last year at La Jolla Playhouse in Southern California, is expected to be filmed without an audience at the Longacre Theatre, where previews began March 2, just one week before the Broadway shutdown. The show will reportedly hit Netflix before its expected real-life opening date on Broadway of May 25, 2021.
Refinery29 reached out to Netflix for comment.
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