“Diana: The Musical,” a stage musical about the life of Princess Diana that was meant to open on Broadway last year, will return to the stage this December.
The producers for “Diana: The Musical” have also set the date for when a filmed special presentation of the show will premiere on Netflix, two months ahead of its Broadway debut. “Diana” will return to the stage beginning in previews on Dec. 1, and the special presentation will premiere on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 1.
“Diana: The Musical” stars Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana in a production directed by Christopher Ashley. The filmed stage show was shot during the pandemic in 2020 after Broadway went dark and features the show’s original cast, including Roe Hartrampf, Erin Davie and two-time Tony winner Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. Here’s the synopsis:
Engaged to a prince she barely knows,19-year-old Diana Spencer is thrust onto the world stage and, overnight, becomes the most famous woman in the world. As she struggles to navigate her way within the rigid structure of the royal family, Princess Diana finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, eventually finding her voice by devoting herself to those in need. Forced to endure a media spotlight brighter than the world has ever known, Princess Diana defies all expectations to emerge as her own woman and create a legacy that will endure forever.
The musical has book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics by David Bryan. Choreography is by Kelly Devine and musical supervision and arrangements are by Ian Eisendrath. The complete cast of “Diana” includes Zach Adkins, Tessa Alves, Ashley Andrews, Austen Danielle Bohmer, Holly Ann Butler, Stephen Carrasco, Bruce Dow, Richard Gatta, Lauren E.J. Hamilton, Emma Hearn, Shaye B. Hopkins, André Jordan, Gareth Keegan, Nathan Lucrezio, Tomás Matos, Chris Medlin, Laura Stracko and Bethany Ann Tesarck.
“The chance to share our show, first with Netflix’s global audience, and then welcoming a live audience back on Broadway, is something we’ve all been dreaming about for more than a year. We could not be more thrilled to finally share both the film and the Broadway musical with the world,” producers Beth Williams of Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall and The Araca Group said in a joint statement.
“Diana: The Musical” started previews in March of 2020, and the hope was that a filmed version would debut after, not before, the show’s return to Broadway. But the filmed adaptation follows the success of shows like “Hamilton” and “David Byrne’s American Utopia” on streamers during the pandemic.