Consider it a sequel to Once, even if it’s sadly not named Twice. The musical Sing Street, based on the 2016 John Carney movie and currently at New York Theatre Workshop, has announced plans to transfer to Broadway this spring, opening in April just before the Tonys deadline. In doing so, it follows in the footsteps of the musical Once, based on the 2007 John Carney movie and which transferred to Broadway in 2012 after a run at New York Theatre Workshop. (Congrats to NYTW, John Carney, and Ireland on all counts.) Sing Street focuses on a group of teens in 1982 Dublin who get together to form a New Wave band, finding joy in the music in contrast to the harsh economic realities of the time. Rebecca Taichman (Indecent) directs the production, with a book by Enda Walsh (Lazarus), music and lyrics by Gary Clark and Carney himself, and choreography by Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge!).
Sing Street’s Broadway run will begin at the Lyceum Theatre on March 26 and will open on Sunday, April 19. The show will star Max Bartos as Darren, Brendan C. Callahan as Gary, Billy Carter as Robert, Zara Devlin as Raphina, Jakeim Hart as Larry, Martin Moran as Brother Baxter, Anne L. Nathan as Sandra, Johnny Newcomb as Barry, Brenock O’Connor as Conor, Gian Perez as Kevin, Sam Poon as Eamon, Skyler Volpe as Anne, Amy Warren as Penny, with off-stage cover Ilan Eskenazi, and Anthony Genovesi as the show’s drummer. The confirmation that Sing Street will indeed transfer (which seemed likely ever since the adaptation was announced) adds a little more variety to this year’s crop of musicals with original songs, a grouping that seemed thin at the start of the season but that now includes this show, Mrs. Doubtfire, Lincoln Center Theater’s mysterious Flying Over Sunset, Diana, and Percy Jackson, with the possibility of Almost Famous coming in lingering on the horizon.