A new stage musical based on the songs of James Taylor is in the early stages of development. Titled Fire & Rain, the show will thread the legendary singer-songwriter’s tunes into a new original story by playwright and actor Tracy Letts, whose work on August: Osage County won him a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Play in 2008. Some of Letts’ other previous projects include Killer Joe, Superior Donuts, and The Minutes.
David Cromer, who is currently directing George Clooney in a Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, is on board as director. Cromer previously directed two of Letts’ plays, Bug in 2020 and Man from Nebraska in 2017. Letts’ story for Fire & Rain is still under wraps for now, but he should have no shortage of popular Taylor songs to work with. The singer’s Greatest Hits album is certified Diamond in the United States, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
A statement accompanying the announcement of Fire & Rain calls Taylor “one of profound influence on American music, particularly in the genres of folk, pop, and singer-songwriter traditions.” It continues, “His career spans over five decades, and his impact can be felt in both the personal nature of his songs and his stylistic innovations. His deeply personal, introspective lyrics and soulful delivery helped define the era’s musical landscape.”
Fire & Rain takes its title from Taylor’s 1970 single “Fire and Rain,” a No. 3 hit that went helped the North Carolina product break through and became one of his signature songs. According to the statement announcing the musical, the track “helped solidify James Taylor’s career and introduce him to a wider audience” and its “vulnerability and honesty made it resonate with listeners and became one of the defining songs of his career.”
Gail Berman, Sam Feldman, Michael Gorfaine and Jimmy Nederlander are credited as producers on the show, in association with Frank Marshall and Jere Harris, with general management by Bespoke Theatricals.