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The world premiere production of Girls Just Want To Have Fun, a new musical inspired by the cult-classic film written by Amy Spies and featuring a score of 1980s chart-toppers, will play Pittsburgh Playhouse’s PNC Theatre from November 11-22, 2026.
This production marks a groundbreaking, first of its kind partnership between a university and a leading global theatrical development and management company, creating a new model for developing musicals while embedding students directly into the professional creative process. Lively McCabe Entertainment and Primary Wave Music will provide Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts students with hands-on experience in the creation of a musical from the ground up. Students are rarely invited into the room where new musicals are built – this new program changes that.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun will have a semester-long pre-production process, where Point Park’s junior musical theatre lab will learn and workshop the show with members of the creative team and PPU faculty, culminating in a fully staged and choreographed workshop at the end of the semester. The creative team will have the summer to implement what they learn during the pre-production phase and then go into a full production process for the World Premiere in the fall. This model gives PPU students the rare opportunity to engage in a professional-level audition, development, and production process before graduating—while providing the creative team with the dedicated space and time needed to bring the musical to life.
The musical, adapted for the stage by M Dickson (“How I Met Your Father”) and actor/singer/songwriter Lauren Marcus, tells the story of Janey Glenn, a high school student and talented dancer, who always follows the orders of her strict father and stays out of the spotlight. When Janey moves to a new town and meets her bold, supportive, Best Friend, Lynne, she disobeys him for the first time to enter a Dance TV competition.
The characters of Janey and Lynne were originally played by Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt in the 1985 film, which also featured Shannen Doherty, Jason Silverman, and Lee Montgomery.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun features a score of hit songs arranged and orchestrated by Broadway composer and music director Georgia Stitt, and made famous by artists such as Whitney Houston, Huey Lewis and the News, Olivia Newton-John, Culture Club, among others. Stitt’s score also includes iconic songs from the original film such as “Dancing In Heaven” and “I Can Fly.”
Jennifer Werner (The Book of Mormon), a long-time collaborator of Lively McCabe and Lauren Marcus, is developing the new musical and will direct and choreograph the World Premiere. Additional creatives and casting will be announced at a later date.
Following its World Premiere at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Girls Just Want To Have Fun is expected to continue its trajectory toward future productions and become a part of the Lively McCabe’s ‘Hits’ Musicals Collection, exclusively available via Music Theatre International.
