Liberace Bio Musical Back on Track with New Producer

Following the success of HBO's film BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, executive producer Jerry Weintraub began making moves to bring the legendary Liberace's story to the stage. According to the New York Post, a musical will likely be on the horizon.

Weintraub reportedly made progress on a stage production, but the producer died in 2015 and the project halted. Now, however, David Permut, best known as the producer of the Academy Award-Winning film HACKSAW RIDGE, is taking over.

I was thinking about shows like 'Jersey Boys,' 'Funny Girl' and 'The Boy From Oz' - shows based on real-life characters - and how popular they are," Permut says. "And Liberace seems like a natural. He was certainly larger than life."

Permut is in the beginning stages of reassembling the project, "I'm just beginning to think about my dream team," but he is imagining the show as being a mix of Liberace's hits and an original score.

Executive produced by Weintraub, the 2013 HBO Films drama BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, presented at 6:30 p.m., stars Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in a behind-the-scenes look at the tempestuous relationship between legendary entertainer Liberace and Scott Thorson, his younger live-in lover. The film won 11 Emmys®, the most of any program that year, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Michael Douglas); and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Steven Soderbergh).

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