Theater News

New Stephen Sondheim Musical Being Developed by Public Theater

Sondheim’s latest is heading downtown.

Stephen Sondheim is developing a new musical with the Public Theater.
Stephen Sondheim is developing a new musical with the Public Theater.
(© David Gordon)

The latest musical from Stephen Sondheim is expected to play the Public Theater in 2017, the composer recently revealed during a conversation at the Glimmerglass Festival. The Public is developing the musical, but said in a statement that there is no timeline set.

Written with playwright David Ives, the show will be an adaptation of two films by Spanish surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel.

"The first tells the story of a group of people trying to find a place to dine together. In the second one they dine. And it's the end of the world," Sondheim explained in an unrelated conversation as part of the 2014 New Yorker festival.

Released in 1962, The Exterminating Angel tells the story of a formal dinner party, where, after the meal, none of the guests are able to leave the room and return home. Chaos and death ensue before a resolution of sorts is discovered. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, released in 1972, explores a group of upper-middle-class friends attempting to dine together. Each time they meet, however, their plans are thwarted and their dreams and fears come to the forefront as the audience attempts to unravel the story.