Discovering Broadway Hosts Writer's Retreat For Broadway Bound Musical THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

A new Indiana nonprofit arts organization with a mission of bringing Broadway bound musicals to develop in the Midwest hosted The Devil Wears Prada's creative team for a seven-day writer's retreat.

Discovering Broadway hosted the six-person creative team February 7th at the Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, IN, and according to the producer of the show, three-time Tony Award Winner Kevin McCollum, the retreat provided an unrivaled opportunity for his all-star team to collaborate and spur innovation.

"The great thing about Discovering Broadway is it's a creative safe space," McCollum said. "This is a part of our journey and will always be. There are so few places that honor research and development."

The Devil Wears Prada is the first show to participate in Discovering Broadway's program and safety was a top priority, with regular Covid-19 testing and other safety measures implemented throughout the week.

"It's always hard when you assemble six artists at the pinnacle of their careers to get them together for an extended period of time to work on a high-profile new musical," Discovering Broadway's Chief Executive Officer and Founder Joel Kirk said. "So that's where Discovering Broadway comes in. We offer Broadway artists a welcoming environment to call their artistic home and take away the distractions of everyday life that can impede on the creative process."

"What Joel and Discovering Broadway has given us this week was such a breakthrough. This was the first time that this team was together in the same room," lyricist Shaina Taub said. "We will always point back to this week and Carmel is always going to be a part of the story of this project."

Broadway shows take years to develop and each one has a carefully selected director, lyricist, music supervisor, bookwriter and choreographer that the producer feels is best for the job. Each creative team member had their own room, workstation, and piano.

"This has been a dream. The moment we got into the room together here it was magical. This town has treated us so well and taken such good care of us, so we are sad that it's coming to an end," Music Supervisor Nadia DiGiallonardo said.

With Broadway shuttered for a year, the director and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago had this to say about the importance of making art during the pandemic: "We do our work in communion with one another. We are broken when we're not able to do this. We will always remember this, and we will always be grateful."

The Devil Wears Prada is based on Lauren Weisberger's best-selling 2003 novel and the 2006 blockbuster film from Fox 2000 Pictures, starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. The musical has music by Tony Award-winner Sir Elton John (Billy Elliot, Disney's The Lion King), lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub (Twelfth Night at The Public Theatre), music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo (Waitress, Pippin), choreography by James Alsop who is known for her work with Beyoncé and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, direction by Anna D. Shapiro (August: Osage County, Larry David's Fish in the Dark), and is being produced by Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q and In the Heights.)

The Devil Wears Prada is scheduled to open next summer in Chicago, IL at the James M. Nederlander Theatre.

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