Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace will feature a Broadway-aimed musical adaptation of Beaches, best known as the 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. The new musical has a book by Iris Rainer Dart, the author of the novel on which the film was based, and Thom Thomas, with music by David Austin and lyrics by Dart. It was previously staged earlier this year at Arlington, Virginia's Signature Theatre, in a production directed by Signature's artistic director, Eric Schaeffer, who will also helm the Drury Lane production, set to run June 24–August 16.
Beaches replaces Deathtrap in the lineup announced by Drury Lane last month, which also includes the first regional productions of the musical Billy Elliot (April 10–June 7), to be directed by Rachel Rockwell, and the play-with-music Peter and the Starcatcher (August 27–October 18), along with the David Ives–penned stage adaptation of the holiday film White Christmas (October 29–January 3) and a revival of Bye Bye Birdie (January 14–March 20). White Christmas and Starcatcher will both be directed by William Osetek, while Tammy Mader will stage Birdie.
Drury Lane's current production of Camelot continues through January 4.