'Diner' musical delays Broadway run until fall

By David Ng

Jan. 7, 2013 12 AM PT

The Broadway debut of the new musical version of the popular 1982 Barry Levinson movie “Diner,” featuring music by pop star Sheryl Crow, has reportedly been delayed until fall.

The delay, which was reported by the New York Times, will allow producers to raise more funds toward the musical’s $9.5-million budget as well as provide time for rewrites. Levinson is writing the book for the musical, based on his original screenplay.

This isn’t the first bump in the road for “Diner,” which had been expected to debut on Broadway in April. The Baltimore-set musical was supposed to have a tryout run in San Francisco at the Curran Theatre in October, but that staging was called off.

The New York Times reported that producers held a developmental workshop production that same month. But coming in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, the workshop did not stoke sufficient investor interest.

“Diner” is to be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall. The musical follows the lives of a group of former high school friends in Baltimore in the late 1950s. The movie, which received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, helped to launch the careers of its young ensemble cast, including Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg and Paul Reiser.

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