The La Jolla Playhouse world-premiere musical centered around Princess Diana's life has found its star.
British actress Jeanna de Waal will take on the role of the beloved Princess of Wales, Diana, in the musical, which opens February 2019 at La Jolla Playhouse.
“To bring Diana to life onstage is obviously a huge privilege,” de Waal says in a new video released by La Jolla Playhouse. De Waal has starred as Lauren in "Kinky Boots" and as Heather in "American Idiot."
“I feel very daunted by the prospect, but I hope people who didn’t know about her and weren’t aware of her journey leave the theater with an idea of what she did for the world," de Waal said in the video. "She made everyone feel special, from the highest person to the lowest-ranking person, and I think we want to celebrate her.”
Tony Award-winning Director and La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley is set to direct the musical. Ashley most recently won a Tony Award for directing "Come From Away," a La Jolla Playhouse-born musical playing on Broadway.
Bon Jovi keyboardist and composer David Bryan and composer/lyricist and Joe DiPietro collaborated on the book, lyrics and music. The pair is best known for Tony Award-winning "Memphis", a La Jolla Playhouse-born musical that later made its way to Broadway.
The show, set in 1981, will focus on the royal marriage of the Princess of Wales and what comes next for the 20-year-old bride, beloved by many.
The musical will run at La Jolla Playhouse from February 19 to March 31, 2019.
To learn more about the musical, click here.
