Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of Wild: A Musical Becoming at the American Repertory Theater. The production is scheduled to begin performances at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 5 and run through January 2, 2022.
Menzel and YDE (Nickelodeon’s The Haunted Hathaways and School of Rock) star as a mother-daughter pair in the musical, penned by V and musicians Justin Tranter and Caroline Pennell. The environmentalism-themed story follows the family as they grapple over the future of their family farm.
Joining the pair are Javier Muñoz (Hamilton), Brittany Campbell (A Christmas Carol), Deborah S. Craig (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Josh Lamon (The Prom), Kinsgley Leggs (Little Shop of Horrors), Paravi Das, Luke Ferrari, and Michael Williams. Members of the Boston Children’s Chorus will join the cast on a rotating basis.
The production, helmed by Artistic Director Diane Paulus, will be presented in a concert format that asks audiences to imagine certain elements for themselves. The move, which the production calls an embrace of a “regenerative practice,” was “inspired by the show’s theme of caring for the planet.” Chanel DaSilva choreographs; casting is by Stewart/Whitley.
Menzel, who is also credited as an additional contributor to the show, is scheduled to perform through December 23, with future casting to be announced later.
