Stayin' Alive! Universal Theatrical Group Developing Bee Gees Musical

Universal Theatrical Group (UTG), Universal Pictures' live theatre division, today announced that it has reached an agreement with Barry Gibb, Yvonne Gibb, and the Estate of Robin Gibb to develop a biographical stage musical based on the life story and music of The Bee Gees.

Barry Gibb will serve as an executive producer on the project. The announcement was made by Jimmy Horowitz, President of Universal Pictures.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our family," said Barry Gibb. "I'm personally very excited to be a part of the creative process along with Yvonne and Dwina. It's another adventure for us and a chance to throw the spotlight on all my brothers and finally the real story of us will be told. It's an honor to be working alongside the people I most respect. I can't wait to get started!"

The Bee Gees, comprised of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, are among the world's best-selling music artists of all time. With their iconic sound and quintessential performances, the talented group of brothers rose to fame in the '60s and '70s and saw global success with iconic hits such as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," "Too Much Heaven," "Nights On Broadway," and "Stayin' Alive."

"On behalf of the entire company, we take great pride in collaborating with Barry on developing a stage musical that captures the scope and significance of his family's incredible story," said Horowitz. "We thank Barry, Yvonne and Dwina Gibb and our longtime collaborator Sir Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music Group who have played a vital role in creating this opportunity, and we look forward to bringing some of the best music ever written to audiences in a unique and thrilling live stage musical event."

An important member of the Universal Music Group family, The Bee Gees' entire publishing and recorded music catalogs are represented exclusively through Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises.

"The Bee Gees are among the world's most influential and commercially successful artists," said Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. "We're honored to represent their publishing and recorded music catalogs and we're thrilled to be involved in this important new project with Jimmy and the team at UTG. This production will honor the trio's iconic legacy and help introduce a new generation of fans to a band responsible for some of the greatest songs and melodies in pop music."

Universal Theatrical Group (UTG) is the film studio's newly-rebranded live theatre division. Its portfolio includes Universal Stage Productions and DreamWorks Theatricals. UTG's record-breaking musical phenomenon Wicked is currently in its 14th smash-hit year on Broadway. With a national tour and multiple international productions, Wicked has been seen by nearly 53 million people worldwide, making it one of the most successful theatrical ventures of all time. In 2008, Universal's critically acclaimed musical adaptation of Billy Elliot opened on Broadway and went on to win 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Universal also produced the Tony-nominated Broadway production of Bring It On: The Musical as well as Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn with Roundabout Theatre Company. DreamWorks Theatricals, which became part of UTG in 2016, was formed to develop live entertainment inspired by the studio's acclaimed library of family friendly animated films, including the Tony-winning musical adaptation of Shrek. UTG is overseen by Jimmy Horowitz, President, Universal Pictures; and led by Chris Herzberger, Vice President, UTG.

Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company. Find out more at www.universalmusic.com.

Photo Credit: Dennis O'Regan