Thursday 18 July 2019
On 18 July 2019, it was announced that Paul McCartney was working on his first stage musical — an adaptation of Frank Capra’s beloved 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life. The production would feature music and lyrics by McCartney, book and additional lyrics by Lee Hall, and be produced by Bill Kenwright.
Paul McCartney — songwriter, musician, now musical theatre writer
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The Announcement
The production is based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story The Greatest Gift, which formed the basis for Capra’s film. The 1946 classic, starring James Stewart, tells the story of a suicidal man, George Bailey, who is saved by a guardian angel — played by Henry Travers — who shows him the difference his life has made.
The adaptation marked McCartney’s first stage musical, although he had previously created film scores, ballet works, and the 1984 film musical Give My Regards To Broad Street.
The project came about after producer Bill Kenwright acquired the rights to It’s A Wonderful Life and approached McCartney with the idea. McCartney and Kenwright share a deep Liverpool connection — both were born and raised in the city and both attended the Liverpool Institute High School (now LIPA, the performing arts academy founded by McCartney).
Paul McCartney
“Like many of these things this all started with an email. Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me but Bill and I met up with Lee Hall and had a chat and I found myself thinking this could be interesting and fun. It’s A Wonderful Life is a universal story we can all relate to.”
— Paul McCartney
Bill Kenwright
“Working with Paul on It’s a Wonderful Life is a dream realised. To be honest I was hooked on first hearing him say ‘one/two/three/four’ on the demo of the opening number! But since then it’s been an extraordinary journey – on every song I experience Paul’s unique gift of melody and composition. It’s musical theatre – but it’s always McCartney.”
“Paul, Lee, and I use the word ‘cherish’ when we refer to our source material and that’s what we intend to do. Cherish Frank Capra’s creation.”
— Bill Kenwright
Lee Hall
“It’s A Wonderful Life is my favourite film. It has absolutely everything – comedy, pathos and a rare humanity which has touched generation after generation. Yet it just couldn’t be more relevant. To give it a life on the stage is an immense privilege in itself but to do with Paul McCartney is off the scale. Paul’s wit, emotional honesty and melodic brilliance brings a whole new depth and breadth to the classic tale. I feel as if an angel must be looking after me.”
— Lee Hall
Background
As a child, McCartney inherited a love of Broadway and show tunes from his father Jim McCartney, who would perform at home on the family piano at every opportunity. This influence permeated into McCartney’s own songwriting and diverse compositions throughout his career.
Kenwright had first attempted to acquire the rights to It’s A Wonderful Life as a very young producer, personally reaching out to Frank Capra himself — who replied with a handwritten letter declining the request. Decades later, the rights were offered to Kenwright while he was working on another project with Paramount. He immediately thought of his Liverpool schoolfriend McCartney.
McCartney shared his first musical ideas with Kenwright on a Friday evening. Kenwright recalls: “Out of the blue I got an email from Paul asking my thoughts on his first stab at an opening song… I played the demo. Lee and I were unanimous. Our hero was a musical theatre writer!”
While completing the US leg of his Freshen Up world tour — which concluded with a sell-out show at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium on 13 July 2019 — McCartney continued working with Hall on songs for the production, including sessions in New York. The show was set to launch in late 2020.
Paul McCartney — officially licensed
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Key Details
| Announcement date | 18 July 2019 |
| Musical title | It’s A Wonderful Life |
| Music & Lyrics | Paul McCartney |
| Book & additional lyrics | Lee Hall |
| Producer | Bill Kenwright |
| Based on | Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s The Greatest Gift |
| Planned launch | Late 2020 |
| McCartney’s previous musical work | Film scores, ballet works, Give My Regards To Broad Street (1984) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paul McCartney writing a musical?
Yes — on 18 July 2019 it was announced that Paul McCartney was writing his first stage musical, an adaptation of Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life. The show features music and lyrics by McCartney, book and additional lyrics by Lee Hall, and is produced by Bill Kenwright.
Who is Lee Hall?
Lee Hall is a Tony Award-winning English screenwriter and playwright, best known for writing Billy Elliot the Musical and the screenplay for the Billy Elliot film. He is writing the book and additional lyrics for the It’s A Wonderful Life musical with Paul McCartney.
Who is Bill Kenwright?
Bill Kenwright is a British theatre and film producer and former chairman of Everton Football Club. He grew up in Liverpool and attended the Liverpool Institute High School alongside Paul McCartney. He is producing the It’s A Wonderful Life musical.
What is It's A Wonderful Life about?
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) is a Frank Capra film starring James Stewart as George Bailey, a man on the verge of suicide who is shown by a guardian angel how different the world would have been had he never been born. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
Has Paul McCartney written a musical before?
The It’s A Wonderful Life musical is Paul McCartney’s first stage musical. He has previously written film scores, ballet works, and the 1984 film musical Give My Regards To Broad Street.
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