Theater News

Glenn Slater, Marshall Brickman, and Aladdin Composer Alan Menken's Happy Trails Aims for Broadway

The new musical is based on the life and career of American icons Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

Bethany Rickwald
New York City
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the subjects of the new Broadway-bound musical Happy Trails.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans are the subjects of the new Broadway-bound musical Happy Trails.

The creative team for Happy Trails, a new musical based on the life and career of American icons Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans, has been announced. The musical will feature original music by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Aladdin), lyrics by Tony nominee Glenn Slater (Sister Act), a book by Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman (Jersey Boys), and direction by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys).

Between 1945 and 1975, Roy Rogers starred in 88 films, and his "Roy Rogers Show" aired on TV for 100 episodes. His life's journey, from an impoverished childhood in Ohio to a stellar career in Hollywood, and the story of the family he and Dale raised are the subjects of this new Broadway-bound show.

Additional creative team members, production details, and casting for all roles, including
Trigger, Smartest Horse in the Movies and Bullet The Wonder Dog, will be announced in the coming months.

"I’ve been a huge fan of Roy Rogers since I was a kid, so working on this show is a dream come
true," said composer Alan Menken in a statement. "Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were consummate, one-of-a-kind entertainers and I’m extremely excited to create a period-specific score that celebrates their legacy."