Stage musical of 'Diner' headed to B'way

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NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A new stage musical based on the 1982 film, "Diner," and featuring music by Sheryl Crow is to open on Broadway next fall, the show's producers said Tuesday.

Playbill.com said Kathleen Marshall will direct and choreograph the production, which will have a book by Barry Levinson, who helmed and wrote the screenplay for the movie -- which earned him one of his three screenwriting Oscar nominations. He won the directing Oscar for "Rain Man' in 1988.

Crow is penning the music and lyrics, the theater industry Web site said.

"Diner" will mark the first Broadway projects for Levinson and Crow.

"'Diner' was a pivotal moment in my career, and since then I have continued to live with the characters, realizing there is much more to their story," Levinson said in a statement. "I'm excited to be embarking on this stage version, which affords me the opportunity as a storyteller to expand on my original vision and let the characters express their innermost feeling and thoughts through song."

"I was already a huge fan of 'Diner' when Barry first approached me about writing a score for a theatrical re-telling of his film. I knew exactly who these men and women were and I feverishly began writing," Crow said.