BD Wong Turning Mr. Holland's Opus Into a Stage Musical
(© David Gordon)
Tony winner B.D. Wong and Drama Desk Award winner Wayne Barker are developing a stage musical adaptation of the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus.
Barker (Peter and the Starcatcher) serves as composer, with Wong (M. Butterfly, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) penning the book and lyrics, as well as directing. The piece will be developed with students from the musical-theater program at San Diego State University, with a full workshop production scheduled to take place there in December 2017. Robert Meffe will serve as musical director.
Inspired by the movie, written by Patrick Sheane Duncan, and directed by Stephen Herek, Mr. Holland's Opus follows the career of an aspiring composer turned longtime high school music teacher, who dreams of one day writing his own symphony. The film starred Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Jay Thomas.
