Industry NewsBroadway’s War Paint Now Available for Licensing Through Samuel French Inc.The theatrical publisher and licensor acquires the rights to the 2017 musical that starred Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole.
By
Ruthie Fierberg
February 01, 2018
Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole, and company
Joan Marcus
Samuel French Inc. has acquired the licensing rights to the 2017 Broadway musical War Paint for regional theatres. From the Tony-winning team behind Grey Gardens, the musicalarrived on Broadway last year at the Nederlander Theatre. Two-time Tony winners Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole portrayed rival cosmetics moguls Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, respectively, both earning Tony nominations for their performances.
Based on the 2004 book of the same name by Lindy Woodhead and the documentary The Powder & the Glory by Ann Carol Grossman and Arnie Reisman, the musical has a score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie; the production premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago before its Broadway transfer. It garnered four Tony nominations in all.
“I’m delighted that Samuel French is handling WarPaint,“ book writer Doug Wright commented. “In these challenging times, it was a joy to write a musical that’s a rousing tribute to two of the most unapologetically ambitious, strong-willed, and colorful women in American history.”
“We are excited to add War Paint to our musical catalog,” added Bruce Lazarus, executive director of Samuel French. “It features two of the juiciest women’s roles in the musical theatre canon.”
Michael Poore's cult favorite fantasy novel has been musicalized by Jukebox the Ghost's Ben Thornewill, BTS songwriter Coyle Girelli, and playwright Laura Zlatos.
