Lionsgate and Producer Scott Delman announced today that the beloved Lionsgate and ABC Studios television series Nashville, a hit for six seasons on ABC, CMT and Hulu, is being adapted as a Broadway musical. Delman, a 10-time Tony Award® winner who will serve as lead producer, has acquired the live theatrical rights from Lionsgate and ABC Studios, which co-produced and distributed the television show. Additional information, including production dates and the complete creative team, will be announced shortly.
For six seasons, the award-winning hit show “Nashville” was set against the backdrop of the city’s music scene and followed the lives of country music superstars as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business. Created by CALLIE KHOURI, in “Nashville,” musicians and songwriters are at the heart of the storm, driven by their own ambitions. Some are fueled by their creativity and passion for fame. Others struggle to cope with the pressures of success and are doing everything in their power to stay on top.
The show’s cast included stars Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, CLARE BOWEN, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, and real-life sisters Lennon & Masiy Stella. “Nashville” also saw appearances from Broadway stars like Will Chase, Laura Benanti, and Kyle Dean Massey.
Nashville represents Lionsgate’s first-ever Broadway production, kicking off a series of live stage productions based on iconic Lionsgate film and television properties. This takes to the next level a live entertainment business that has already included the successful La La Land in Concert, The Hunger Games in Concert and Dirty Dancing-The Classic Story on Stage world tours, as well as the Now You See Me Live stage spectacular which, on the heels of a successful debut in China, is about to embark on a global tour.
“‘Nashville’, with its complex, relatable characters and sweeping emotional gestures, has all of the narrative elements that I look for in great theatrical source material. From that rich DNA, we will be building an original story with entirely original music, written by major NASHVILLE and Broadway songwriters,” said Scott Delman. “We are particularly excited to deliver Broadway’s first score of true contemporary country music – a genre that has exploded with mainstream audiences in recent years. Lionsgate has a treasure-trove of sterling I.P., and I’m honored to be a part of this new phase of their live entertainment division.”
