Love Broadway musicals? How about the Disney flick High School Musical? Lucky you: Next year the two collide when Vanessa Hudgens, the female lead in the film that brought Zac Efron to the masses, stars in Gigi, having its pre-Broadway at the Kennedy Center in January.
The KenCen production is a reimagining of the story, which is based on a 1941 novella and has been adapted twice for the stage—a 1951 version starring Audrey Hepburn, and a brief Broadway run in 1973. There was also a 1958 movie version starring Leslie Caron, which picked up nine Academy Awards. Heidi Thomas’s new adaptation features songs from the movie that were cut from the stage version, as well as several added to the score for the ’70s version.
“We absolutely fell in love with Vanessa, and we know audiences will, too,” said the show’s producer, Jenna Segal, in a press release. “She has a huge worldwide following, and it’s easy to understand why, once you see her on stage.”
Gigi is at the Kennedy Center January 16 through February 12, after which it heads to Broadway. Tickets go on sale October 1 at 10 AM through the Kennedy Center’s website.
