Universal in the home for Broadway

Using its brewing musical version of "Animal House," Universal Pictures Stage Prods. has teamed with several legiters which are becoming frequent collaborators using the Hollywood studio's legit arm. Also around the creating team are prolific Rialto producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel ("Hair," "August: Osage County") in addition to James L. Nederlander, prexy of Broadway landlord and creating/showing company Nederlander Org. Universal was one of the producers of Richards and Frankel project "The Merchant of Venice" along with the current "Gore Vidal's The Very Best Guy" and "Porgy and Bess" -- using the latter now playing within the Richard Rodgers, a Nederlander house. Another Universal title, "Wicked," continues to be packing the Nederlander's Gershwin Theater for near to ten years. Such bicoastal working together -- together with a roster of qualities which have hit happens such as the tuner version of "Take It On," a present tour which Universal also produces -- has assisted result in the movie studio a normal presence around the Rialto. Recent excursions also provide incorporated "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" (another Richards-Frankel production), "Cry-Baby" and also the Tony-sweeping "Billy Elliot." Creating for that stage is definitely an iffy business, but U executives know from first-hands experience that the hit often means large money. "Wicked," a regular top grosser on Broadway, became one from the studio's most lucrative qualities before a film has been made from the "Wizard of Oz" prequel tale. Happens version of Universal's 1978 screen comedy "Animal House" includes a creative team which includes Canuck band Barenaked As well as book author Michael Mitnick, whose play "Sex Lives in our Parents" received a Gotham run included in Off Broadway's Second Stage Uptown series this year. Casey Nicholaw ("It of Mormon") will helm and choreograph. Production timeline for "Animal House: The Musical" has not yet been set. Richards stated the creatives started work on the program a few several weeks ago and hopes with an initial reading through from the show later this season. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com