WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Warriors

Something new this week, in that the show in question is yet to be staged, and only exists in the form of a concept album. It was suggested to Lin-Manuel Miranda that a stage musical adaptation of the 1979 film "The Warriors" (itself based on a Sol Yurick novel from the 60s) would work well as a musical by his friend Phil Westgren back in 2009, around the time his debut broadway show "In The Heights" was at the peak of its popularity. Though Miranda initially dismissed the idea, it is clearly one that remained in the back of his mind for years, as in 2022 proposed working with fellow Pulitzer nominee Eisa Davis on the project.

The initial concept album, starring a mammoth cast including Joshua Henry, Amber Gray, Philippa Soo, Billy Porter and Busta Rhymes, was released in October 2024, and was met with critical acclaim from both sides of the Atlantic, praised for Miranda's trademark melding together of musical genres. Not long after the release of the album it was revealed that Miranda and Davis were indeed planning on adapting the music into a stage production.

(L-R) Amber Gray, Philippa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones

Musical concept albums have been a staple of developing new stage shows for decades now, from The Who's "Tommy" and Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" to, more recently, "Hadestown", "the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", and of course "Warriors". Given the albums initial success, reaching the top 25 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, and number 29 in the UK, there is no reason to suspect this couldn't be a huge success if it were to be adapted to the stage.