N — The Queen of Paris Sets Its Sights on Broadway

Montréal's Monlove Enterprises has announced the world premiere of the Broadway-bound N — The Queen of Paris, a new musical inspired by Émile Zola's classic novel Nana, which offers a glimpse into the backstage world of Parisian theaters.

The production will premiere at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in September 2015 followed by a U.S. premiere, slated for November 2015, in Chicago at Broadway in Chicago's Bank of America Theatre. The musical is expected to open on Broadway in March 2016.

Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson have developed the show's book, music and lyrics and will codirect the upcoming production. Prop designer Michael Curry joins them on the creative team.

"I have been immersed in the world of Nana ever since I first read the novel as a student," said Ella Louise Allaire. "Although the book is set in the Second Empire, when the boulevards, cafés and nightlife of modern Paris were just being born, I felt an instant bond with its figure of a fascinating young street singer determined to rise in the world. Nana to me is in many ways a very modern woman. Martin and I now want to bring her to life as a character who is of our time, and yet remains magically surrounded by the fabulous, legendary Paris of years past."

The complete cast and creative team will be announced at a later date.