HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#1
Posted: 3/18/26 at 4:53pm
Fresh on the heels of “Purple Rain,” the stage adaptation of Prince’s film that had its glitzy world premiere at Minneapolis’ State Theatre in October 2025, another film-to-stage adaptation will take its first bow in the Twin Cities.
“Happy Feet,” the 2006 animated film about Mumble the tap-dancing emperor penguin, is being adapted for the stage and is expected to premiere in Minneapolis in summer 2028.
The news was announced at a recent event for theater insiders in Miami and comes after “Purple Rain,” whose producer, Orin Wolf, vowed to take the show to Broadway (more on than later).
Broadway and film producer Dori Berinstein is behind the “Happy Feet” adaptation effort. Six of her shows have won Tonys, including “Stereophonic,” “Company,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Berinstein also executive produced “Dirty Dancing.”
Actors Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, rapper Fat Joe and rocker Chrissie Hynde voiced the animated characters of “Happy Feet.”
No casting has been announced for the stage version.
Minnesota has a history of pre-Broadway tryouts, the biggest of which was “The Lion King,” which premiered in 1997 and transferred to Times Square, where it is still running.
https://www.startribune.com/is-minnesota-becoming-a-hotspot-for-launching-broadway-shows/601599994?utm_source=gift
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#2
Posted: 3/18/26 at 5:05pm
Michael Arden is directing and Ayodele Casel is choreographing.
The penguins are puppets and will be designed by Basil Twist.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#3
Posted: 3/18/26 at 5:07pm
EDSOSLO858 said: "Michael Arden is directing and Ayodele Casel is choreographing.
The penguins are puppets and will be designed by Basil Twist."
Hmm…very interesting
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#4
Posted: 3/19/26 at 6:48am
If they’re gonna musicalize an animated penguin movie from the 2000s, I’d rather it be Surf’s Up.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/18/17
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#5
Posted: 3/19/26 at 1:02pm
I would have liked Pebble & The Penguin adapted. I haven’t seen Happy Feet in forever. And I would be hyped if they thought of this sooner.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#6
Posted: 3/19/26 at 4:41pm
I've seen the movie precisely once, at a church event when I was probably 15. Even at the time I thought it was fairly featherweight (so to speak), and I have almost no memory of it. Although I wouldn't be surprised if I would appreciate it more on a rewatch. It's probably a better movie than Purple Rain, if nothing else.
That said, it feels like something that could be adapted to the stage fairly well. Arden directing new material feels a little hit-or-miss as of late, but the news about extensive animatronics sounds like they have something ambitious and different in mind. And I'm digging what appears to be the new trend of using Minneapolis for out-of-town Broadway tryouts.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#7
Posted: 6/3/26 at 3:17pm
Michael Arden: "It’s going to be so funny... There’s incredible puppetry in the show, and the music is every one of your favorite songs. Every artist we’ve approached about using their songs has immediately said ‘yes.’ That’s the power of the penguin."
Sounds like it's going to be a SpongeBob-like score, then.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#8
Posted: 6/3/26 at 3:25pm
KevinKlawitter said: "Michael Arden: "It’s going to be so funny... There’s incredible puppetry in the show, and the music is every one of your favorite songs. Every artist we’ve approached about using their songs has immediately said ‘yes.’ That’s the power of the penguin."
Sounds like it's going to be a SpongeBob-like score, then."
It isn’t like SPONGEBOB, that had an original score and this is going to be a jukebox musical.
Broadway Star Joined: 8/11/05
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#9
Posted: 6/3/26 at 3:29pm
EDSOSLO858 said: "It isn’t like SPONGEBOB, that had an original score and this is going to be a jukebox musical."
Ewwww.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#10
Posted: 6/3/26 at 6:47pm
The animated movie was also a jukebox musical, so it makes sense. I wonder if they'll reuse some of the songs from the movie in the stage version. The version of "Somebody to Love" was excellent and it can be a showstopper, so hopefully it stays. The rest of the tracks are classics, but they feel pretty dated to me.
HAPPY FEET musical headed to Minneapolis in 2028#11
Posted: 6/3/26 at 8:29pm
The previous announcement in March stated they will be using songs from the film, and since its premiering in Minneapolis, they’re of course doing Prince’s “Song of the Heart” and “Kiss”.
Dane Laffey set design, Susan Hilferty costumes, Natasha Katz lighting, and puppet designs by Basil Twist.
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