MEDIA RELEASE
New York, NY – December 10, 2025 – Producers Richard Barton Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment and Chunsoo Shin’s OD Company are pleased to announce that August Rush, the critically acclaimed Academy Award and Grammy Award-nominated 2007 film, is being developed as a new Broadway musical. A workshop of August Rush: A New Musical, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall, will be presented in New York City on Thursday, December 11 & Friday, December 12 at Open Jar Studios.
AUGUST RUSH: A NEW MUSICAL
THE WARNER BROS. ACADEMY AWARD AND GRAMMY AWARD-NOMINATED FILM,
TO BE DEVELOPED AS A BROADWAY MUSICAL
BY SOUTHPAW ENTERTAINMENT AND OD COMPANY
WORKSHOP PRODUCTION
DIRECTED BY KATHLEEN MARSHALL
TO BE PRESENTED IN NEW YORK CITY ON DECEMBER 11 & 12
Based on the Warner Bros. motion picture, with a story by Paul Castro and Nick Castle and directed by Kirsten Sheridan. August Rush: A New Musical is produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.
Nick Blaemire has written the new book and contributed new songs to a score featuring music from the film’s platinum-selling soundtrack by Grammy-winning, Oscar and Tony-nominated composer Mark Mancina, John Legend, Chris Trapper, and Luke Reynolds, along with new songs by Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize Winner Tom Kitt, Van Hughes, and Bonnie McKee. Kitt will also provide music supervision.
The story follows an orphaned 11-year-old musical prodigy who runs away from his foster home to New York to embark upon a music-driven journey to find his long-lost parents: his father, an Irish rocker, and his mother, a concert cellist. Now performing and busking on the streets of New York and mentored by a mysterious stranger, August uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.
With casting by The TRC Company with Tara Rubin, CSV; Kevin Metzger-Timson, CSV; and Frankie Ramirez, CSV, the workshop will include:
- Christopher Riley as August
- Jeremy Kushnier as Wizard
- Matthew James Thomas as Louis
- Talia Suskauer as Lyla
- Jeffrey Cornelius as Arthur X
- Ayvah Johnson as Hope
- An ensemble including Pomme Koch, Wade McCollum, Inés Nassara, Shea Renne, Heath Saunders, and Vishal Vaidya
The beloved film starred Freddie Highmore, Robin Williams, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Terrance Howard. The film’s multiple platinum-selling soundtrack featured memorable performances by John Legend and Van Morrison.
Richard Barton Lewis, the award-winning producer of twenty motion pictures and 300 hours of television, has been leading the work’s adaptation for Broadway. Chunsoo Shin and his OD Company are currently represented on Broadway with The Great Gatsby. Alchemy Production Group will serve as General Manager for the production.
BIOGRAPHIES
Kathleen Marshall (Director) is a nine-time Tony Award nominee and three-time winner for Best Choreography. She has worked on over 20 Broadway shows, becoming the first woman to direct a play, musical and choreograph a musical on Broadway.
Tom Kitt (Music Supervisor, New Songs) is a two-time Tony, two-time Emmy, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winner.
Van Hughes (New Songs) starred in the musical version of Almost Famous on Broadway.
Nick Blaemire (Book, New Songs) wrote the book for Safety Not Guaranteed at BAM and is known for his work on Glory Days.
Bonnie McKee (Additional Songs) is an LA-based singer and songwriter, known for her collaborations with pop stars including Katy Perry.
The TRC Company (Casting) has worked on numerous Broadway productions and tours.
Richard B. Lewis (Producer) has produced successful films including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Backdraft.
Chunsoo Shin (Producer) is a highly acclaimed Korean theatre producer and the founder of OD Company.
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