Photo Credit: Primary Wave
Primary Wave Music partners with Lively McCabe Entertainment to develop live-stage projects featuring music from Primary Wave’s extensive catalog.
Stage production company Lively McCabe Entertainment and independent publisher Primary Wave Music have teamed up on a slate of new stage musicals featuring songs from Primary Wave’s expansive catalog. Lively McCabe will also manage the licensing of Primary Wave titles for theater programs worldwide.
Among the projects already in the works is “Mystic Pizza,” based on the MGM film and featuring the music of several Primary Wave artists, including Melissa Etheridge, Prince, Carnie Wilson, and Chynna Phillips.
“What a Wonderful World,” a Santa Claus origin story by Jeremy Desmon, features holiday music from Regent & Jewel, Luther Vandross, and Gerry Goffin. An untitled New Wave musical from Michael Kimmel featuring music from Devo, Culture Club, and Naked Eyes is also on the docket, as well as an 80s musical romantic comedy from Sandy Rustin.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Primary Wave on this exciting slate of new stage musical projects,” says Michael Barra, Lively McCabe CEO. “Their catalog of iconic music and the diversity and breadth of their artists lends itself quite ideally for musical adaptation — and we can’t wait to work with the entire PW team and to share more details on the full slate in the very near future.”
“From our first conversation with Michael, it was clear that he and his team have a clear, authentic, and commercially proven approach to integrating classic hits into contemporary stage musical IP,” adds Natalia Nastaskin, Chief Content Officer at Primary Wave Music.
“This partnership with Lively McCabe is natural for us because it taps into our central aim of creatively promoting and highlighting our catalog to new, younger audiences while also entertaining core fans and staying true to the legacies of our songwriters.”
Natalia Nastaskin will work alongside Ramon Villa, Chief Operating Officer at Primary Wave Music, overseeing project development with Michael and the Lively McCabe team. The partners expect to release a slate of initial titles by late 2023, with additional projects by the end of 2025.