Last month marked nearly 80 years since the iconic sweethearts-turned-bank-robbers, BONNIE & CLYDE, were brought down in Texas after capturing the nation’s attention. Their legend lived on in the hit 1967 film and now, their story has been set to music for the stage!

I had the great pleasure of being part of the producing team when BONNIE & CLYDE hit Broadway. Getting to watch Broadway veterans like composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Don Black create this musical was exciting and eye opening. Seeing songs come and go, lyrics change, and scenes expand and contract was a fascinating process.

Now available for licensing, it is already hitting the regions and has several productions underway! BONNIE & CLYDE has a lot going for it. The highly branded title is immediately recognizable to audiences. Add to that the beautiful music (listen to a sample here), tight cast, and a universal story of ill-fated love, and audiences will be in for a treat at your theater.

Described as “a thrilling and sexy musical with a non-traditional score, combining blues, gospel and rockabilly music,” this story presented particular challenges for the writers when they were shaping the show for the stage. I got to see first hand how the creatives wrestled with leading characters who are killers and a plot where nearly everyone in the audience knows the ending.

Fortunately for us, the creators found a way to capture the audience’s attention with compelling charismatic characters who you couldn’t help but fall in love with along the way. They also made the clever choice to get the tragic ending out of the way from the outset. The curtain rises at the top of the show with the couple in their final moment -  leaving the musical free to end on a high note when the curtain falls at the end of the evening.

While BONNIE & CLYDE’s tenure on Broadway was shorter than it should have been due to a number of factors, there is no doubt that, unlike it’s tragic title characters, this beautiful show has a long and successful life ahead of it.

Order a perusal copy HERE.

Read all of Brisa’s Pieces here.
You can reach Brisa on twitter: @brisatrinchero. I also blog about the art and business of new musicals at www.makemusicals.com. I look forward to hearing from you!