Riverdale is coming to the Great White Way! Adam McKay and the folks at Funny or Die are teaming up with Archie Comics to produce a musical about America’s favorite teen. As a reminder, I am an actual actor with a resume, headshot, and everything.
This isn’t actually the first time Archie’s been on stage. Back in 2003, Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage Theatre Company produced Archie’s Weird Fantasy, a play where Archie Andrews came out of the closet. Archie Comics filed a cease-and-desist order and the play was changed to Weird Comic Fantasy. Who was the playwright behind this production? None other than Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, writer of Afterlife With Archie and current CCO of Archie Comics Publications, Inc. That’s like when a government hires a hacker because they know he’s too skilled to be left on the outside. Still, it’s crazy to think that twelve years ago Archie shut down a production for depicting their character as gay. Now, Kevin Keller is one of their most prominent characters and the man who wrote the offending play is in a top position within the company. Progress is wonderful.
Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee this project for Archie Comics while Adam McKay tries to find a way to realistically cast Will Ferell in the lead role.
Check out the full press release below and let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments. The love song that frantically hops between Betty and Veronica? Moose’s big dance number? The Broadway debut of Multiversity Comics writer James Johnston as Jughead? I am frantically mailing out headshot as I write this.
ADAM MCKAY AND FUNNY OR DIE JOIN ARCHIE COMICS TO CREATE A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL BASED ON THE CHARACTERS OF THE BELOVED COMIC SERIES ARCHIE.
Writer/Director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, You’re Welcome America) and Funny Or Die have joined forces with Archie Comics, one of the most popular comics ever produced, to bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale gang to Broadway in an all-new musical. McKay is slated to bring his singular brand of comedy to the musical, writing the book for the show, with a creative team and timing for a New York run to be announced at a later date.
Funny Or Die will serve as a presenting partner. CEO Jon Goldwater and CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee for Archie Comics. The partnership was packaged by Triptyk Studios (An American in Paris, You’re Welcome America, Xanadu) who will reteam with their You’re Welcome America partners for the endeavor. Tara Smith, B. Swibel and Adam Westbrook will oversee development for the company and present on Broadway.
Adam McKay said, “Archie represents a bygone era of America. And like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone. This will be a musical that deals with both those realities in a bright, colorful and slightly demented way.”
Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics CEO/Publisher, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Adam McKay and Funny Or Die to finally bring Archie to the stage. We’ve always thought that Archie was destined to be a big Broadway star – and now that moment has come! I’ve long admired Adam’s work and the pairing of Archie’s world with his brilliant humor and sensibility is the perfect fit. We look forward to developing this project together with this incredible team.”
Visit www.ArchieMusical.com for more information and to sign-up for updates.
Follow the development of the Archie musical on all social media channels @ArchieMusical.
