The Karate Kid franchise is set to receive another adaptation, as it will next be headed to the stage as a musical. The Stages St. Louis production is set to have its world premiere on May 25, 2022, and will run through June 26, 2022. The play is scheduled to be presented at The Ross Family Theatre at The Kirkwood Performing Arts Center in Kirkwood, Missouri, Playbill is reporting.
The stage adaptation will be produced by Naoya Kinoshita of the Kinoshita Group, Kumiko Yoshii and Michael Wolk, who announced the news of the project’s engagement. The group is hoping to subsequently bring the production to Broadway, following its run in Missouri.
The Karate Kid – The Musical is set to adapt the Oscar-nominated 1984 film of the same name, which was the first installment in franchise. The hit martial arts drama was directed by John G. Avildsen, and starred Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita and Elisabeth Shue.
The upcoming play will feature a score by Drew Gasparini and book by Robert Mark Kamen, who also wrote the original movie. The musical will be directed by musical and film helmer, Amon Miyamoto, and choreographed by MTV VMA nominees Keone and Mari Madrid. There hasn’t been any official news on who will be joining the cast yet.
“Karate teaches that if you treat people with inner strength, humility and the spirit of harmony, there will be no conflict,” Miyamoto said while discussing the stage adaptation. “My deepest hope is that our work resonates with audiences all over the world, spreading the ideas of acceptance and inclusion—which are the opposite of division.”
Jack Lane, Stages St. Louis executive producer, added: “We cannot think of a better show to help launch not just Stages, but the St. Louis region, as a brand new pre-Broadway tryout destination.”
In addition to the play, The Karate Kid franchise also includes four sequel films and an animated television series. The series also includes Netflix’s live-action show, Cobra Kai, which stars Macchio reprising his famous role of Daniel LaRusso. The comedy-drama is set to premiere its fourth season this December.
