‘The Karate Kid’ Musical Set for 2022 in St. Louis As Production Eyes Broadway Run
Following a successful jaunt into animated TV and streaming, The Karate Kid franchise will now head to the stage as a musical with a limited pre-Broadway run in 2022.
The Karate Kid – The Musical will be written by original screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini of the NBC musical drama Smash. It will kick off with a limited engagement on May 25 in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., and will run through June 26 hosted by Stages St. Louis.
"When I was a young man, my life was forever changed by traditional Okinawan karate and the instructors who taught it to me,” Kamen said in a statement to Deadline.
"The Karate Kid is my love letter to both those masters and their practice. Karate teaches, above all, to follow your dreams no matter what obstacles are put in front of you, and that is the spirit with which all of us are approaching this show."
While casting has yet to be announced, the production will be directed by Amon Miyamoto, who became the first Japanese director on Broadway with his production of Pacific Overtures in 2004.
The original Karate Kid movie was released in 1984 starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. It has since evolved into a sprawling franchise that includes five movies—its most recent release came in 2010 starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan—and the Netflix drama Cobra Kai that's heading into its fourth season.
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