The Danish Girl is getting the stage treatment.
Benson Drive Productions has begun development on a musical adaptation of the novel, which was later turned into the 2015 Academy Award-winning film, starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. The production will feature book and lyrics by Nora Brigid Monahan (DIVA: Live From Hell), an original score by Alex Parker, musical director for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Entertainment, and direction by Georgie Rankcom, the UK Associate Director of Oh, Mary!
The first private workshop of the project will be held this week. A production timeline has not yet been announced.
The Danish Girl novel and film are loosely inspired by the true life story of Lili Elbe, a Danish painter, transgender woman, and an early recipient of gender-affirming surgery, and her love story with her partner, Gerda Wegener.
The musical adaptation is “an exploration of the legacy left behind by these two trailblazers and their relevance almost a hundred years later.”
“I am thrilled to be working with Georgie, Nora, and Alex to bring The Danish Girl to the stage. David’s historic novel shaped queer literature by providing one of the earliest fictional accounts of gender affirmation surgery and our musical works to continue to honor the great life of Lili Elbe with a majority-trans creative team. Authentic trans representation in the media is dwindling but is now more crucial than ever before; we hope this production not only uplifts David’s renowned text and Lili’s profound legacy, but also creates space for deeper understanding, empathy, and connection across audiences in London, New York, and beyond,” said producer George Strus, chief executive of Benson Drive Productions.
