First Readings of AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN Musical Take Place 5/13-5/14

The first readings of AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, a new musical, will take place in New York City May 13th and 14th. The readings will be directed by Simon Phillips and produced by Gordon Frost Productions.

The musical is based on the acclaimed 1982 film starring Richard Gere, Louis Gossett Jr., David Keith, Robert Loggia, and Debra Winger. The film was directed by Taylor Hackford and featured a screenplay by Douglas Day Steward.

The new musical features a score by Robin Lerner and Ken Hirsch alongside a book by Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen. The casting notice currently posted says the show will hold an Australian production in 2011.

The original film was produced by Lorimar Productions for Paramount Pictures. The film's title uses an old expression from the British Royal Navy or from the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice, as being charged with "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman" (from 1860). An Officer and a Gentleman was commercially released in the U.S. on July 28, 1982.

An Officer and a Gentleman surrounds Zack Mayo (Gere) as a military official entering Officer Candidate School in an attempt to become a Navy pilot. Gossett Jr. plays the drill instructor who oversees Mayo's progress and won an Academy Award for his portrayal. Mayo also meets Winger's character and develops a relationship throughout his time at the school.