(New York Jewish Week) — After a successful month-long showing in Los Angeles, “Transparent” is headed to Broadway in 2024, according to Amazon producers.
From the same duo who created the acclaimed TV series, “A Transparent Musical” is a musical adaptation of the dramatic comedy that follows a Jewish family navigating a parent’s coming out as a transgender woman in her 60s. Created by Joey Soloway, who also co-wrote the book of the musical, the Amazon series won eight Emmys along with awards from GLAAD and the NAACAP. It starred Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman and had been considered by many to be “the most Jewish show on TV.”
The musical adaptation, with music and lyrics by Faith Soloway, recently concluded its world premiere at LA’s Mark Taper Forum. The team behind the production told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they focused on increasing representation — especially after the original series was criticized for casting a cisgender actor in the starring role.
“I’ve never seen a show with so many trans actors,” said Adina Verson, who identifies as nonbinary and plays Ali Pfefferman, the family’s youngest sibling. “It’s an incredible room full of unique, incredible performers who honestly haven’t often been given the stage that they deserve.”
According to the Center Theater Group, which operates the LA theater where the musical ran from May 23-June 25, the show attracted the highest proportion of under-40 viewers of any recent production at the venue.
“Transparent remains an incredibly impactful series with salient representation for the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Nick Pepper, an executive at Amazon Studios, according to Deadline. “This is the ideal series and characters to bring from series to stage, and we are thrilled to partner with Tony-winning Broadway Producer Eva Price. We hope the audience walks away inspired after experiencing this poignant story.”
The set of “A Transparent Musical” recreates a fictional Jewish community center. (Jacob Gurvis)
The play is set in a suburban Jewish community center, complete with fake promotional posters for a Purim carnival, banners from youth sports championships and pre-show announcements about other Jewish community events.
