Bon Jovi’s David Bryan making progress with ‘exciting’ Princess Diana musical
David Bryan has spoken about the musical he’s penning to mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
As well as being Bon Jovi’s keyboardist and co-founding member, David has delved into the world of musicals in the past co-writing the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Memphis with Joe DiPietro in 2002.
The pair united again on the superhero rock musical The Toxic Avenger in 2009 and now they’re “a couple of acts” into a new show about Diana.
First announced to the world last month, David has revealed more about the musical in an interview with The Sunday Post.
“It goes from when she was a little girl right up to the divorce,” David said. “We look at this idea of being a fairy tale princess and then what the realities of that were.
“Joe had been looking at an article and it occurred that no one had done a musical, certainly on our side of the pond.
“We were around the same age and she was absolutely huge in America.
“I started doing different takes on it and we’ve done a couple of acts now. It’s new and exciting and in development and people like where we are with it so far.”
Meanwhile, David and Joe’s The Toxic Avenger is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe at the Pleasance One theatre from 2nd to 28th August.
“It’s the polar opposite of Memphis which featured heavy issues,” says David. “This is about a superhero from New Jersey and it mocks everything – it’s so wrong, it’s right.
“When I saw what had been done with the show in the UK I was laughing my head off, I thought it was a 10 out of 10. I want to get across to Edinburgh and I’m working out my summer schedule between the musicals and the band so I can hopefully make it happen.”
Bon Jovi play a one-off show at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, New York next month before playing a clutch of South American dates in September on This House Is Not for Sale tour.
Their last UK show took place at London’s Palladium in October 2016.