A musical based on the music of ZZ Top is currently in development in the USA. Michael Gruber and Jason Gastwirth from Caesars Entertainment along with Carl Stubner and Prem Akkaraju are developing ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ the musical to debut in Las Vegas in 2020.
‘Sharp Dressed Man’ has the blessing of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard of ZZ Top. The three founding members of ZZ Top will act as Executive Producers of the musical.
“We’re excited about this fantastic project and look forward to hearing our music in a new innovative context,” said ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. “Fans have often told us that we’ve provided the soundtrack to their lives, and this is very much in line with that kind of enthusiastic thinking.”
‘Sharp Dressed Man’ is described as “an outrageous, bawdy musical romp about a Lone Star auto mechanic who becomes a modern-day Robin Hood, stealing hearts — and car parts — with the help of his merry band of beer drinkers and hell raisers”.
Prem Akkaraju commented, “Pairing ZZ Top’s iconic music with a Texas-version of the Robin Hood story delivers countless laugh-out-loud moments for audiences of all ages. It’s an absolute blast.”
The songs will include ZZ Top classics “Legs,” “La Grange,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Cheap Sunglasses.”
“I know firsthand that ZZ Top is an enduring phenomenon; they’re now about to celebrate 50 years of rocking audiences around he world,” said Stubner. “The show that Prem, Michael, Jason and I envision will utilize the band’s music and tremendous energy for audiences in a new immersive realm. This, just like ZZ Top, is all about having a good time at a great party and telling fun stories through their music.”
The show’s book is written by Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins. The duo wrote the teleplays for Fox TV’s Emmy-winning “Grease Live!” as well as “A Christmas Story Live!” Tolins is known for the long-running off-Broadway hit “Buyer & Cellar” for which he won a Lucille Lortel Award. He also wrote the films “The Twilight of the Golds” and “Martian Child” (written with Seth E. Bass). He is currently a Co-Executive Producer of “The Good Fight” on CBS All Access. Cary is co-author of Broadway’s “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” “Flashdance The Musical,” and directed the films “Ira and Abby” and “Anything But Love.”
Jason Gastwirth, president of entertainment at Caesars Entertainment said, “ZZ Top holds a special place in American music history. Their songs incorporate rich imagery that lends itself to the narrative form. The addition of Sharp Dressed Man to our already diverse entertainment lineup is exactly the component we are excited to welcome to the family for our guests.”
“We are at a time where Las Vegas is recognized to have some of the most amazing artists in the world from all eras, and we are excited to have the opportunity to bring to the stage a musical that has some of the best songs of a generation, with some great actors of today, enabling us to have an incredibly creative and successful show in the future,” added Michael Gruber, chief new business officer for Caesars Entertainment.
Follow Noise11 on Twitter for news as it happens
For news as it happens follow Noise11 on Facebook
Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio
