The music of Huey Lewis and the News will anchor a new stage musical, Heart of Rock and Roll.
Lewis announced the musical on Thursday in a short video that also features Jimmy Kimmel, who announced that he would be quitting his job to star as Lewis in Heart of Rock and Roll. While Lewis tried to explain that the show was not about himself, but rather an original story based on his music, Kimmel remained committed to the role, even taking out a harmonica to prove he was ready for the gig.
As Kimmel finally began to realize that his Broadway dreams would not be coming true, the late-night host cracked, “The power of love is a curious thing, Huey. Makes one man weep – and that man’s gonna be me right now.”
Heart of Rock and Roll will feature some of Lewis’ best known songs, including “The Power of Love,” “Hip to Be Square” and “If This is It.” Gordon Greenberg will direct the show, while Jonathan Abrams wrote the book based on an original story he crafted with Tyler Mitchell. A synopsis of the story has yet to be released along with a premiere date or production schedule.
Huey Lewis and the News became one of the most prominent and successful rock bands of the Eighties on the strength of their 1983 album, Sports, which featured four Top 10 singles. The group’s remarkable run continued through the early Nineties, and in all they produced 19 Top 10 cuts, earned a Grammy for Best Music Video and even scored a Best Original Song Oscar nomination for “The Power of Love,” which famously appeared in the movie Back to the Future.
