Clark Griswold and his hapless family of four may soon be hitting the road for Broadway.
Producers Ken Davenport (“Once on This Island”) and Kurt Deutsch announced Monday that they have optioned the rights to develop a stage musical based on the “Vacation” film franchise by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.
No composer or book writer has yet been announced for the adaptation, which is in the early stages of development.
The producers hinted that the film’s suburban Griswold family may be bound for a vacation in New York City — a departure from the original 1983 comedy in which Chevy Chase led his clan to the fictional Wally World or from sequels set in Europe and Las Vegas. “While the characters are familiar, ‘Broadway Vacation’ will take them on a completely original musical journey — and on a trip to New York that they will never forget,” Deutsch, the founder of Sh-K-Boom and Ghostlight Records, said in a statement.
“Both Kurt and I came of age on the ‘Vacation’ films series and can’t wait to bring the Griswolds to Broadway,” Davenport said in a statement. “If audiences thought their cinematic misadventures were funny, wait till Clark and his family get to Times Square.”
Deutsch added, “Millions of tourists come to New York for the first time every year and each one has a singular experience. The Griswolds’ maiden trip to the city will be no exception, though in this case, theirs is guaranteed to be outrageous, unique, hilarious — and well-choreographed.”
The Griswolds first hit the screen over three decades ago in the classic comedy “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” giving audiences lasting memories of the disasters that can befall a family on a cross-country road trip.
Getting to Walley World, America’s favorite adventure destination, was a hilarious hassle for Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and their bickering kids, Rusty and Audrey.
Over the years, the Griswolds took us on a “European Vacation,” a “Vegas Vacation,” and even a “Christmas Vacation.” In 2015, New Line Cinema released “Vacation,” starring Ed Helms as a grown-up Rusty leading his own family on misadventures on the road.