New Grunge Musical Could Feature Music From NIRVANA And SOUNDGARDEN

According to The Pulse Of Radio, a Seattle theater is currently developing a grunge musical that could feature songs from some of the genre's most iconic artists, including NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS. As first reported by Rolling Stone, the Seattle Repertory Theatre has commissioned the project, which will feature an original story about "a brilliant grunge musician and the rival who may have killed him." The musical takes place in Seattle in the early '90s.

The show is still in the early stages, with a title, casting and premiere date yet to be confirmed. But the production will have access to the BMG publishing catalog, which includes albums from NIRVANA, SMASHING PUMPKINS, SOUNDGARDEN and more. Final approval from the rights holders will still be needed for the song to be included.

The project would be the first musical to feature the music of NIRVANA, although there have been rumors of a Broadway production using Kurt Cobain's songs for several years.

NIRVANA biographer Charles R.Cross explained to The Pulse Of Radio why Kurt Cobain's music has had such a lasting impact on pop culture. "The music that Kurt and NIRVANA created is still considered some of the greatest music we've had in modern rock 'n' roll," he said. "You know, the albums still continue to sell, and as an influence of other bands and the sound of things that we still hear on the radio, I think you still hear the influence of NIRVANA and Kurt. There are a whole bunch of reasons for that: I mean, the most notable being the fact that he just wrote incredible songs that touched so many people."

The untitled musical is co-created and written by Wendy C. Goldberg, the artistic director of the O'Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference. Goldberg will also direct the show, which will begin workshops later this year.