Lennon Musical in the Works

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Yoko Ono has given her approval for a Broadway musical based on the songs of John Lennon. With the working title The Lennon Project, the musical would draw from more than thirty of Lennon's solo songs as a backdrop to a story exploring the tumultuous 1960s and early 70s.

"Over the past two decades, I have been experiencing the feedback from the world to John's life, statements and music," Ono said in a statement released Wednesday. "I realized what John had meant to the world. He was a catalyst who brought down the hypocrisy and the old world establishments by saying 'Gimme Some Truth.' What we present on stage should again give people insight, encouragement, inspiration and fun, so they can go on with their lives with some assurance and hope."

The twelve-person show will be co-produced by Edgar Lansbury, who produced the 1973 movie version of the gospel musical Godspell, and theater producer/director Don Scardino. The actors, who have not yet been cast, are expected to portray different aspects of Lennon's personality. Scardino will direct the show from a script he is writing with playwright Eric Overmyer.

The show is planned for the 2004-2005 season.

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Song Stories

“Karma Chameleon”

Culture Club | 1983

Boy George has said this song was about standing by what you believe in. However, at the time, he was involved in a secret affair with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. "Now people can understand the songs better," he said. "They were written about my relationship with Jon, and they were also written about being a gay man in a homophobic world." The lines "If I listen to your lies, would you say/I'm a man without conviction/I'm a man who doesn't know how to sell a contradiction," described his life at the time, he said. "I was selling this big lie."

More Song Stories entries »

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