Stage and screen star Debbie Allen will direct and choreograph the Broadway-aimed Polly: The Musical, based on the Disney TV movie and Eleanor H. Porter's novel.
Allen also helmed the original 1989 film, featuring a teleplay by William Blinn. The new stage production will feature a book by Emmy winner Lena Waithe and Michael Benjamin Washington and music and lyrics by Grammy winner Siedah Garrett and Joriah Kwam茅.
Polly, which is set in 1950s Alabama, follows plucky orphan Polly, who is forced to contend with negativity and conflict in a small town under segregation.
Allen said in a statement, 鈥淭he message of Polly is one that we need today more than ever. That the power of a single positive voice can make change in the face of adversity and divisiveness; that the voice of a child could bring unity and hope鈥攊s what Polly is about. This musical, with its joy and its unbridled hope, will shine a light on a path for every audience to find unity in their community.鈥�
Producer Brian Anthony Moreland added, 鈥淭his team of creative all-stars is exactly what Polly needs to bring her story to the stage. With Debbie鈥檚 brilliant hands back on the steering wheel, I couldn鈥檛 be more thrilled to be working together with them to share this experience with the world.鈥�
General management will be by KGM Theatricals. Additional members of the creative team and casting will be announced at a later date.
The 1989 film featured Keshia Knight-Pulliam, Phylicia Rashad, and the final film performance from Butterfly McQueen; it was followed by a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin鈥� Home.
Kennedy Center Honoree Allen is a two-time Tony nominee for her performances in the revivals of West Side Story and Sweet Charity. She received the Golden Globe for her role as Lydia Grant in the TV series Fame, the Drama Desk for her portrayal of Anita in the aforementioned West Side Story, and is a four-time Emmy winner in Choreography for Fame (twice), The Motown 25th, and Christmas on the Square. She also received the Emmy for Outstanding Movie Made for Television as executive producer of Christmas on the Square, and the Governors Award at the 73rd Emmys. Her numerous directing credits include Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Jane The Virgin, Empire, Insecure, Ms. Pat, and Samuel L. Jackson鈥檚 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. She currently serves as executive producing director of Grey鈥檚 Anatomy, where she recurs as Dr. Catherine Fox.
