The premiere of the new musical about Princess Diana will take place on Netflix before the scheduled opening on Broadway in December.
The premiere on Netflix on October 1, the producers said, is believed to be the first such arrangement for a new stage show.
“The chance to share our show with Netflix worldwide and then invite a live audience to Broadway is something we’ve all dreamed of for over a year,” the statement said.
Broadway theaters closed in mid-March 2020 due to a coronavirus pandemic. Now the closure officially continues until June 2021, but the New York theater community is watching live musicals and performances until September to resume work.
Live theater, which thrives on close contact between actors, is expected to require behind-the-scenes crews to work in close conditions and need a large audience to survive financially, the latest cultural event to return after a pandemic.
“Diana: Musical” was previewed just before the Broadway stop, but was not officially opened. The Netflix presentation was filmed in 2020 along with the cast.
It tells the story of Diana from a young bride because of her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, heir to the British throne. Diana died in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36.
The music for the show was written by David Brian, keyboardist of the American rock band Bon Jovi.