Is DIARY OF A WIMPY KID Musical Headed For Broadway? Minneapolis Production Extended Amid Speculation

After an enthusiastic reception and brisk box office business following its April 15th opening, Minneapolis' Children's Theatre Company's premiere production of the new musical based on Jeff Kinney's graphic novel series DIARY OF A WIMPY KID has extended for one week, setting a new closing date of June 12th.

In addition, The Star Tribune reports of "a steady stream of New York and Hollywood muckety-mucks [that] have been flying into the Twin Cities to check out the production, fueling speculation that WIMPY will land on Broadway."

With a score by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler (HOW CAN YOU RUN WITH A SHELL ON YOUR BACK?) and a book by Kevin Del Aquila (ALTAR BOYZ), the Children's Theatre Company mounting is in conjunction with Fox Stage Productions and Broadway producer Kevin McCollum, whose credits include SOMETHING ROTTEN!, HAND TO GOD, IN THE HEIGHTS, AVENUE Q and RENT.

Staged as a non-stop, tour-de-force romp by Chicago-based director Rachel Rockwell, the musical stars Ricky Falbo as the preteen title character Greg Heffley, who wants to stand out in middle school instead of simply being stuck in the middle. In his quest for status, he behaves badly, betraying his best friend and lying on a classmate, among other things, before eventually learning important lessons about himself and his friends.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID is believed to be the biggest, most complicated production in the theater's 50-year history. The musical has over 50 scenes and a set that is in constant motion, giving the show the feel of a live-action film.

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Children's Theatre Company (CTC) celebrates 50 years of creating extraordinary theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire young people and their communities. CTC is the first theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003) and has welcomed more than 11 million people to performances and education programs over the last five decades. As one of the 20 largest theatre companies in the nation, CTC has created over 200 new works, dramatically changing the canon of work for young audiences.