With the recession still on the American public’s minds, Broadway is looking at a long, hard journey to return to profitability. As well as canceling shows and slashing ticket prices, Broadway producers are also looking at new productions that will bring in larger audiences and increase revenue. The latest deal is a musical version of Michael Jackson’s famous music video epic, “Thriller.”

According to James L. Nederlander, “I love the idea of making ‘Thriller’ a musical. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, boy has big secret, now what…” “Now what” is our thoughts exactly: the concept works great when it’s used in YouTube videos made by French film students lip-synching “Thriller”, Filipino prisoners dancing “Thriller” and impromptu dance troupes on a train, how can a six-minute song/14-minute music video sustain itself over the course of two acts? According to the press release, the musical take its plot from the actual music video, a “horror film spoof in which a young couple are out on a date on a beautiful full moon evening, when suddenly the young man, played by Jackson, turns into a werewolf.” This sounds like it could be Cats, but with zombies instead of kitties.

On a positive note, the musical will reportedly also feature songs from both Jackson’s Off the Wall and Thriller, so you can pretty much expect to see “Billie Jean” and its sidewalk that lights up when you step on it at some point during the production. Michael Jackson will also reportedly be a part of the creation of the musical in some capacity. The creative team and estimated theater dates of the show have not yet been revealed.

[from Rolling Stone]

Jackson is widely reported to have hefty financial problems. Considering the fact that he is having legal troubles regarding his home; being sued for a record he failed to complete with the son of Bahrain; and may also be paying large medical bills, I’m guessing he’ll be pleased with a successful Broadway show’s payout.

This project sounds like a match made in heaven. The show basically comes pre-packaged. They’ve got a soundtrack, choreography, the basic idea for a storyline, and even a celebrity’s name attached to the project. Nothing attracts tourists to a Broadway play faster than a recognizable moniker in lights above the entrance. And on top of all that, zombies are so in right now.