Broadway Licensing is excited to announce the acquisition of the rights to produce and license Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This musical is based on the beloved best-selling children’s book series and its film adaptations by Jeff Kinney. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the recipient of six Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for Books and is published in 66 languages throughout the globe.
To learn more about the musical based on this beloved children’s books, check out today’s official press release below:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Joins the Broadway Licensing Musical Catalog.
The show will be available for licensing to professional theatre companies, community theatre groups, colleges, and high schools.
Broadway Licensing, a leading theatrical licensing company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the rights to produce and license the hit-stage musical adaptation of the beloved children’s book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is based on the best-selling book series by Jeff Kinney and its film adaptations. This popular book series received six Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for Books and is published in 66 languages worldwide.
The musical was adapted in collaboration with 20th Century Studios and produced by special arrangement with Kevin McCollum and Buena Vista Theatrical. It premiered by the famed Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in April 2016 and ended its original run in June 2016. The show was revised in 2022 and the updated show once again staged at Children’s Theatre Company and ran from April through June of that year.
“I’ve felt so fortunate for the world-class team of talent that have brought the Wimpy Kid story from page to stage!” said Kinney, “There’s so much a Musical can deliver that a book can’t, and fans of the series will be instantly hooked!”
The show follows Greg Heffley as he records the daily trials and triumphs of friendship, family life, and middle school where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and shaving.
“We are thrilled to add Diary of a Wimpy Kid to our musical catalog,” said Sean Cercone, President of Broadway Licensing. “The story is relatable, funny, and heartwarming, and we know that schools, community theatre organizations, and children’s theatre groups are eager to bring this global sensation to life on their own stage.”
The musical has been praised for its clever staging, catchy songs, and faithful adaptation of the beloved book series. A review of the original production stated, “This relentlessly entertaining musical comedy is funny, and the pop-meets-Broadway songs are bouncy and clever.”
The show’s book is by Kevin Del Aguila, an Emmy-winning writer and Broadway performer. He is the playwright of the off-Broadway musical hit Altar Boyz (NY Outer Critics Award) and the lyricist of Click Clack Moo (Lortel and Drama Desk nominations). His other musical adaptations include the DreamWorks film Madagascar and Dog Man: The Musical. Del Aguila has written for numerous children’s television shows, including Peg + Cat (PBS), Waffles + Mochi (Netflix), and as head writer of Blue’s Clues & You (Nick Jr.).
“I’m delighted to finally unleash Greg Heffley’s musical diary on the world! Middle School is a time of big, overblown, awkward feelings, so what better way to express them than in song? It’s a true family show that makes adults and children laugh and cheer together. Here’s hoping it spreads happiness around like the Cheese Touch,” said Del Aguila.
The show’s music was composed by Michael Mahler with lyrics by Alan Schmuckler. Mahler and Schmuckler are a songwriting team whose work includes The Secret of My Success (NBC/Universal); musical TV pilot Boyfred (ABC/Sony/Shoe Money Productions); animated feature My Little Pony 2 (Hasbro, Ron Fair); and music video LEGO Store: The Musical.
“Zoo wee mama!!! I’m so excited that our musical Diary of a Wimpy Kid is going to be made available to theaters and schools everywhere. It’s a show that’s near and dear to my heart—middle school, that magical time where we start to figure out who we actually are, is a gauntlet of horrors each of us has to pass through,” said Mahlerand Schmuckler. “All of us are Gregs and Rowleys, struggling to find our place in the world and forge real and lasting bonds of friendship. I hope this show offers a humorous and heartfelt glint of hope to those going through it, those about to go through it, and those who never quite leave it behind.”
“Welcoming Diary of a Wimpy Kid into our family of imprints demonstrates another major step forward for Broadway Licensing,” concluded Cercone, “bringing world-class theatrical properties to wider groups of audiences and connecting them to the magic of live performance in a shared space, in our effort to make everyone a theatre person.”
For more information about Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other shows available for licensing, visit BroadwayLicensing.com or the show’s licensing webpage, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
ABOUT BROADWAY LICENSING
Broadway Licensing and its family of imprints (Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, and Stage Rights) is the global leader in theatrical licensing and distribution. The iconic works epitomize the greatest collection of authors, composers, lyricists, and underlying rights holders across the globe including Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lynn Nottage, Alan Menken, Stephen King, Elvis, the Bee-Gees, and the Beatles.
The Broadway Licensing collection of titles represents an astonishing 36 Tony Award and 48 Pulitzer Prize-winning works. The company leverages its team’s expertise in licensing, theatrical production, theatre education, and content creation to diversify, strengthen, and rapidly expand its portfolio into new sectors and markets. Founded in 2017, Broadway Licensing has quickly scaled and, as of 2022, the company represents 8 of the Top 10 most produced plays in professional theatres and 9 of the Top 10 most produced plays in High Schools.
In 2020, Broadway Licensing launched the Emmy® Award-nominated streaming platform Broadway On Demand, offering exclusive theatrical content, interactive events, and original programming projected to reach well over 200 million households by 2023. Additionally, Stageworks Productions, the original live stage content creation arm dedicated to the development of innovative, theatrical intellectual properties has developed several world premiere musicals which have been produced in over 90 countries. In all, the combined force of the Broadway Licensing family of imprints continues to grow, with a singular goal to make everyone in the world a theatre person.
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Tamaryn Tobian | Public Relations at Spectacle Creative Media|[email protected]
