Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is taking on a new endeavor. He’s back at it with musical theater, turning the 15th century story of Joan of Arc’s life into an off-Broadway musical.
“Everyone certainly knows how it ends, which I like,” Byrne explained in a statement on his official website. Yes, the “The Maid of Orléans” was burned at the stake in 1431 before she got to her 21st birthday. But following on the success of 2013’s Here Lives Love (a stage adaptation of an album he did with Fatboy Slim) Byrne makes a convincing argument for why a Joan of Arc musical would be hot fire.
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“Why has this story endured over centuries and been made into so many plays and movies? Because it’s about someone — a nobody, a teenage girl — who inspired others to act, to overthrow their oppressors and take charge of their lives.”
Byrne has already written the music for the Joan of Arc show (he hasn’t revealed an official title) and it’s set to premiere next spring at New York City’s Public Theater. Two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers is set to direct. Timbers filled the same role in Here Lies Love, and Byrne reports that much of that show’s team will be back for this one.
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As for the actual sound of the show, here’s what to expect:
“Like Here Lies Love, this one is almost all contemporary music with very little spoken text, though this time around the music is more anthemic and ‘spiritual’ rather than the clubby disco grooves of Here Lies Love.”
We leave you with a little bit of Byrne’s previous show to get you in the mood: