What Could Ryan Murphy and Glen Powell Be Bringing to Broadway?
In a new interview with Vogue, Anyone But You star Glen Powell revealed that he and Ryan Murphy are currently in the midst of working on a Broadway musical. “Ryan Murphy and I, we’re actually making a musical together. We don’t really have any plans to be back in the television world together, but we’ll be on Broadway together,” Powell said, referring to the under-appreciated Scream Queens, which ran from 2015-2016. But unfortunately it doesn’t sound like he’ll be reprising his role as Chad Radwell for a Scream Queens: The Musical, which means Niecy Nash will have to get her Tony elsewhere.
Despite his penchant for musicals on screen, Murphy’s only Broadway credits have been the plays Long Day’s Journey Into Night and The Boys in the Band, the latter of which earned him a Tony Award. His long-teased Funny Girl revival starring Lea Michele never materialized outside of Glee, but of course Michele went on to scratch that itch sans Murphy. When it comes to musical theater talent, Murphy’s bench runs deep, having worked with everyone from Ben Platt to Patti LuPone, so it’s noteworthy that he’s partnering with Powell, for what would be the actor’s musical debut. But what could these two have in store? Let’s speculate wildly about what a Glen Powel and Ryan Murphy Broadway collaboration could possibly look like.
Schue: The Will Schuester Story
A prequel to Glee in which we follow the trials and tribulations of a young Will Schuester. “So much happened before Rachel Berry dropped in.”
Sunset Boulevard
Powell would make the perfect Joe, and can star alongside a rotating cast of Ryan Murphy regulars as Norma Desmond: Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, Patti LuPone, Gwyneth Paltrow…the options are unlimited.
A one-man show version of Seussical
This avant garde production, in which Powell plays all the parts, will sweep at the Tonys.
A retelling of Hairspray from the perspective of Corny Collins
He’d slay “The Nicest Kids in Town.”
Newsies, Part 2
If we can do it with A Doll’s House, we can certainly whip up a sequel to Newsies.
Taylor, the Latte Boy
Why not expand this classic Kristin Chenoweth song into a full length stage musical? And who better to take on the titular role than Powell?
A jukebox musical about the life and times of Adam Levine
Working title: Sunday Morning. “Moves Like Jagger” ideally appears in the score at least three separate times.
A musical adaptation of Set It Up
Murphy has already worked with Zoey Deutch on The Politician, so why not get the band back together to bring that rom-com to the stage?
Gender-swapped My Fair Lady
Wouldn’t it be loverly?
Singin’ in the Rain
Back in 2017, Powell told Giuliana Rancic that he’d love to star in a musical, citing Singin’ in the Rain as one of his favorite movies — mentioning that he used to tap dance for years. And as we know from the Glee mashup of “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Umbrella,” Murphy too is a fan, even using the film as inspiration when shooting The Prom. Could this be the perfect storm?
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