Legendary Oklahoma band the Flaming Lips have announced details of their upcoming stage musical based on their 2002 album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The production will run in San Diego, Calif., from Nov. 6 to Dec. 16, directed and produced by Des McAnuff, who previously directed The Who’s Tommy and Jersey Boys on Broadway.
McAnuff and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne developed the production, which centres on Yoshimi, “a young Japanese artist facing the battle of her life.... Yoshimi journeys alone into a fantastical robot-world where she wages a war with fate.” In 2007, The Social Network and The West Wing writer, Aaron Sorkin, was attached to write the play but since dropped out.
Auditions are currently open in New York, with rehearsals beginning in mid-September. Audience members should expect some Spider-Man-style acrobatics because, according to this audition site, the three lead actors “MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH AERIAL WORK AND HEIGHTS.”
A stage musical of a 10-year-old album doesn’t seem that unusual by Flaming Lips standards. The band has previously released vinyl that contains their actual blood, put out a four-CD album meant to be played on four CD players at the same time and appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210.
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