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Documentaries That Became Musicals on Broadway and Beyond

With the recent Broadway arrival of How to Dance in Ohio and the Kristin Chenoweth–led The Queen of Versailles musical adaptation in development, you might be curious about other musicals based on documentaries. Find out what musicals have a documentary to thank for their source material.


Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens. Photo by Joan Marcus.
Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Grey Gardens

Based on the documentary of the same name, Grey Gardens follows the lives of a mother and daughter who share the name of Edith Beale. While the documentary follows their fascinating and odd daily lives in their decaying Hamptons mansion, the musical expands on their story, with the first act exploring an earlier period of their lives and the second act more closely following the documentary. The musical, with a book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, opened on Broadway in 2006 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, with stars Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson both winning Tony Awards for their performances as the mother-daughter duo.


Hands on a Hardbody
The Broadway cast of Hands on a Hardbody. Photo by Chad Batka.

Hands on a Hardbody

In 2013, Hands on a Hardbody opened at the Lena Horne Theatre (then known as the Brooks Atkinson Theatre), bringing to Broadway a musical based on S.R. Bindler’s 1997 documentary of the same name. With a book by Doug Wright and musical score by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody chronicles 10 contestants who entered a competition to win a “hardbody” truck, with the victor being whoever can keep their hand on the truck the longest. The musical received three Tony Award nominations, including one for actress Keala Settle.


The West End cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie
The West End cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Photo by Alastair Muir.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Inspired by the TV documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie hit London’s West End after premiering in Sheffield in 2017. The story tells of 16-year-old Jamie New, who knows he’s destined for something bigger in life and dreams of becoming a drag queen. The musical went on to be nominated for five Olivier Awards and has since spawned multiple international productions and turned into a movie musical. Stateside, while Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has yet to play New York, it had a Los Angeles premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in early 2022.


Ashley Wool and the Broadway cast of How to Dance in Ohio. Photo by Curtis Brown.
Ashley Wool and the Broadway cast of How to Dance in Ohio. Photo by Curtis Brown.

How to Dance in Ohio

The most recent Broadway musical based on a documentary, How to Dance in Ohio is based on the documentary of the same name. The musical, as in the doc, follows young adults with autism as they navigate and prepare for their first spring formal. The coming-of-age musical marked a major milestone in autism representation on Broadway, with the show starring seven autistic actors who made their Broadway debuts portraying the young adults featured in the documentary. How to Dance in Ohio will play its final performance at the Belasco Theatre on February 11.


 

 

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The Queen of Versailles

Finally, one the general public has yet to see is The Queen of Versailles, a musical based on the iconic documentary of the same name. While no full production plans have been announced, Kristin Chenoweth is leading and producing, reuniting with Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, with the latest workshop featuring a book by Lindsey Ferrentino and direction by Tony Award winner Michael Arden. Little else is known about the musical, which will follow socialite and TV personality Jacqueline “Jackie” Siegel, as in the documentary, but it’s worth noting that Broadway Direct reported from the Broadway Cruise that “the story feels very much in the vein of Gypsy,” according to Chenoweth herself.

Learn More About How to Dance in Ohio