NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Independent music publisher Primary Wave Music announced the formation of a partnership with Lively McCabe Entertainment that will see the two companies work to integrate music from Primary Wave’s catalog into theatrical productions.
According to the companies, several such projects are already in the works or in production, including the recently released “Mystic Pizza” which is based on the iconic MGM film and includes music from hitmakers such as Melissa Etheridge, Prince, Carnie Wilson, and Chynna Phillips; and the holiday-themed “What A Wonderful World” that features music by Regent & Jewel, Luther Vandross and Gerry Goffin, among others.
Other projects in the pipeline include an untitled New Wave musical from Michael Kimmel featuring music from Devo, Culture Club, and Naked Eyes, and an Original 80s Musical Rom-Com from Sandy Rustin.
Additional projects will be announced in the coming weeks.
Additionally, Lively McCabe, led by CEO Michael Barra, will work with Primary Wave to manage the licensing of those titles to regional, amateur, and school theatre programs, both in the U.S., and abroad.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Primary Wave on this exciting slate of new stage musical projects,” says Lively McCabe CEO Michael Barra. “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. This partnership with Lively McCabe is a 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,” added Primary Wave Chief Content Officer Natalia Nastaskin.
