THE HONEYMOONERS Musical Adaptation Bypassing Goodspeed's 2015 Season, Producers Eying Broadway Run?

Goodspeed Musicals has announced that the planned premiere of The Honeymooners musical adaptation has been removed from its 2015 season, instead being replaced by A WONDERFUL LIFE.

As part of the announcement, Goodspeed says that they were told that the production is "ready for Broadway," and will no longer need an out-of-town tryout. In November, Goodspeed presented a workshop of the show in New York where the authors and creative team were able to work on and see the show fully staged for the first time. The cast included Tony Award winner Michael McGrath as Ralph Kramden, four time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Hank Azaria as Ed Norton, Drama Desk Award nominee Leslie Kritzer as Alice Kramden, and Drama Desk and Outer Critcs Circle Award nominee Megan Hilty as Trixie Norton.

Tony Award winner John Rando directed the workshop of the musical comedy, with choreography by Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse, book by Dusty Kay & Bill Nuss, music by Stephen Weiner and lyrics by Peter Mills.

Ralph Kramden and his buddy Ed Norton are back and still shooting for the moon in this world-premiere musical. After shocking their wives by winning a high profile jingle contest, they are catapulted out of Brooklyn and into the cutthroat world of Madison Avenue, where they find themselves torn between success and friendship. Filled with warmth, laughs, and an infectious score, The Honeymooners is a new musical comedy that will bang-zoom its way into your heart.

Brainchild of the legendary American comedian, actor and musician Jackie Gleason, "The Honeymooners" took the world by storm when it launched as a six-minute sketch on Gleason's "Cavalcade of Stars" in 1951. The sketches starred Gleason as Ralph Kramden, the blue collar underdog struggling to make a better life for himself and his wife, Alice. With help from pal, Ed Norton and his wife, Trixie, Ralph would plot hilarious get-rich-quick schemes, none of which ever succeeded. Over the next few years, "The Honeymooners" became a television sensation, beating out "I Love Lucy" as the most-watched show in 1955.

For over sixty years, the series has never been off the air, enjoyed in reruns across the country as well as fifty countries abroad, including remakes in Sweden, Poland and The Netherlands.

Goodspeed Opera House's 2015 season will now commence with the classic American musical Guys and Dolls which will run from April 10 - June 20; followed by the heartwarming and outrageously funny La Cage aux Folles which will run from June 26 - September 6; and wrap up with the charming A Wonderful Life, which will run from September 18 - November 29, 2015.