Last year, it was announced that The Karate Kid is being adapted into a musical. BroadwayWorld reported that a casting call for the musical is officially out, and the casting call lists some exciting new details about the show.
The musical is choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini. Keone and Mari recently worked with Disney to choreograph the animated short “Us Again.” Drew is known for his work developing music and lyrics for theatre. His credits include the 2017 adaptation of Ned Vizzini’s YA novel It’s Kind of a Funny Story.
It seems that Keone and Mari and Drew’s work is finally coming together. In the recent casting call, the production schedule lists the start of a pre-Broadway regional tryout for the show for spring 2022! That means that The Karate Kid could make its way to Broadway as early as Summer 2022.
The Karate Kid made its film debut in 1984 (nearly 40 years before the adaptation will take on Broadway). While nostalgia for the story definitely plays a part in the excitement surrounding this project, we’re even more excited about the movement. How will Keone and Mari use their iconic style to translate karate to dance?