The Jaws musical is finally coming to the stage, and it will be premiering in Seattle in 2022. This production of the show has been a long time coming, as it was first announced back in 2008.
The Jaws Musical is a musical that will be debuting in Seattle, Washington in 2022.
According to Deadline, the Jaws-themed musical Bruce will now premiere in Seattle in 2022, instead of this year. Bruce is an adaption of author Carl Gottlieb’s The Jaws Log, which recounts the creation of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster. The musical was originally scheduled to premiere at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, those plans were changed, and Bruce will now premiere at Seattle Rep in May 2022, directed and choreographed by Donna Feore of the Stratford Festival, with a book and lyrics by Richard Oberacker and music by Robert Taylor.
“Chronicles the creation of a classic picture, Bruce recounts the tale of then-unknown filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s troubled film set and the obstacles that hindered his crew at every step, including the film’s star: an unruly mechanical shark called Bruce,” according to the press release. At its core, the show demonstrates that amazing things can happen when we confront adversity and work together as a team.”
Jaws may not seem like the most obvious subject for a musical adaptation, but it’s far from the first, with other horror flicks like The Evil Dead and Beetlejuice also receiving musical versions.
Following its release in 1975, Jaws became the first true summer “blockbuster,” with the film’s popularity and long queues for cinema tickets coining the term. The film, which was based on the same-named Peter Benchley book, spawned three sequels but, unlike other franchises, has yet to get an official remake or reboot.
Despite how improbable a remake may seem, original production designer Joe Alves isn’t completely against it, since he understands that the chemistry between the actors is more essential than the methods used to bring the shark to life.
“Well, there are a lot of shark things, and they’re all CGI. They seem to be absolutely clean sharks, and everything could be done in CGI “In the year 2020, Alves said. “So it’s a whole different situation. And what’s occurred with CGI in recent shark films is that it’s been overused. ‘What’s the point of having only one shark?’ Because we keep repeating the CGI, we might have a hundred sharks.’ So, two years ago, I watched Jaws because there was a museum in Catalina that had a six-month exhibition of all the Jaws drawings, with Greg Nicotero making the three figures full-size and everything that. They also held a night showing on a large screen. I hadn’t watched it in a long time on a large screen. And what I understood was that the three characters were the true stars of the film.”
He said, “It was three men on a boat, all of whom were very different. The policeman who didn’t want to be on the boat at all, the old crusty fisherman, the shark scientist, the smart-ass kid, and the cop who didn’t want to be on the boat at all. As a result, I understood the film isn’t simply about a shark. It’s about those individuals and their connection. The shark then emerges. But if you take everything out, all you’re left with is Spielberg’s directing, which was fantastic. That, I believe, was the title of the film. Replacing it now would be like remaking Gone With the Wind.”
Keep an eye out for more information about Bruce before it premieres in 2022.
Are you looking forward to seeing the musical? Let us know in the comments section below, or reach out to Patrick Cavanaugh on Twitter to discuss all things Star Wars and horror!
Related Tags
- jaws rating
- when did jaws come out
- cast of jaws
