Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez Musical UP HERE Receives Commercial Producers; Broadway Run Eyed Following La Jolla Premiere

Oscar-winning FROZEN songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are in development on their next project -- a musical titled UP HERE, with ROCKY's Alex Timbers on board to direct. The production is scheduled to make its World Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in California during the theater's 2015-16 season, though no exact dates have been set.

UP HERE is being presented by special arrangement with Scott Sanders Theatrical Productions; along with Victor Alvarez and Sally Horchow International Productions, with an eye towards Broadway in the future.

"Bobby Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Alex Timbers are the new musical theatre rock stars of this generation. We're tremendously excited to collaborate with them on developing this extraordinarily witty and wonderful piece that taps into the zeitgeist of Millennials everywhere," said Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley.

The musical centers on Dan, "an ordinary guy with a boring social life, an unused gym membership and a lot going on upstairs. When he finds a potential spark with Lindsay, his attempts at love are jeopardized by his chaotic subconscious mind. Academy Award-winning composers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez team up with acclaimed writer/director Timbers to create this new musical comedy about moving past ourselves -- and those little voices in our head -- to find happiness."

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are the Oscar-winning married songwriting team behind the sensational Disney animated film, Frozen. Robert has co-conceived and co-written smash-hit musicals Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, which both earned him Tony Awards. Kristen's show, In Transit, opened off-Broadway in 2010 and earned recognition at the Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel awards that year. Lopez and Anderson-Lopez have written for television, film and stage, including the stage version of Finding Nemo, songs for The Wonder Pets (two Emmy award wins) and the Winnie the Pooh animated film.

Alex Timbers is a two-time Tony Award-nominated writer and director and the recipient of Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as two OBIE Awards. He is currently represented on Broadway with Rocky at the Winter Garden Theatre. His other Broadway credits include: Peter and the Starcatcher (co-director, OBIE Award- Best Director, Tony nomination- Best Director), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (also book writer; Drama Desk Award- Best Book, Lortel and OCC Awards- Best Musical, Tony nomination- Best Book), and The Pee-wee Herman Show (aired on HBO, nominated for Emmy Award). His Off-Broadway credits include the current hit production of Here Lies Love (Drama Desk and OCC nominations- Best Director), A Very Merry Unauthorized Pageant (OBIE Award, Garland Award- Best Director), Gutenberg! The Musical! (Drama Desk nom.- Best Director), Hell House (Drama Desk nom.- Unique Theatrical Experience). His recent work includes Love's Labour's Lost, which he co-wrote and directed at the Public's Shakespeare in the Park in 2013, and The Last Goodbye, which sets Romeo and Juliet to the music of Jeff Buckley. Alex is a former President of the Yale Drama and the Artistic Director of downtown company Les Freres Corbusier.

Photo by Walter McBride