Bill and Ted had an “excellent” adventure; now they are about to have an excellent musical.
Emerson College, the Berklee College, the Boston Conservatory, and screenwriter Chris Matheson are in the process of writing a new adventure for Bill and Ted.
Jason Lytle is writing an original soundtrack for the production with Freedom Theatricals and Radar Pictures producing the show.
A developmental workshop has been planned for September 12-20 at Emerson College. Student actors, musicians, and designers will be working alongside industry professionals at the workshop.
Currently being titled “Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Rock Opera” is aiming for a world premiere some time next year.
Co-founder of Freedom Theatricals Russell Miller spoke on the project via statement saying, “we wanted to challenge the traditional development model. By partnering with Emerson and Berklee, we’re creating an environment where students aren’t simply observing the process, they’re helping shape it. New work thrives on fresh perspectives, and there is tremendous value in putting emerging artists at the center of a show’s earliest development.”
Bill and Ted are trading their time-travel history report into a live rock opera that will include Beethoven, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Sigmund Freud as the on-stage band.
Screenwriter Chris Matheson spoke on the script saying “this project gave us an opportunity to revisit Bill and Ted in a way that feels true to the spirit of the films that Ed [Solomon] and I created together, while creating something entirely new and organic for the stage. At its heart, the story is still about friendship, music, and the idea that optimism can change the world. We need to play with each other, in the end that’s what Bill and Ted is all about.”
Composer Jason Lytle added, “writing this score has been an exciting creative challenge. The goal has been to capture the humor, heart, and unpredictability of these characters while building a musical language that works in the theatre. It’s been a chance to explore everything from rock and metal to more intimate moments, all in service of the story.”
“Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” debuted in movie theaters in 1989. The two high-schoolers decide that a time-travel adventure would make a good history project.