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The Broadway-bound new musical, The Wanderer, based on the life and music of Dion DiMucci will receive an industry invitation-only reading on Friday, January 23rd in New York City.
Telling the story of the legendary New York’s musician, The Wanderer is produced by Jill Menza, Charles Messina, with Stevie Van Zandt and Maureen Van Zandt (who have recently joined the producing team) in cooperation with Dion DiMucci.
This new chapter of The Wanderer’s creative journey to Broadway focuses on the earlier years of Dion’s life and career, with casting that reflects the immediacy, electricity and life challenges of a star on the rise.
The cast for the reading will include Joshua Bassett (Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway, tv’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) as Dion, Olivia Holt (Chicago on Broadway, tv’s “Cruel Summer”) as Susan, and Diego Andres Rodriguez (Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, EVITA in the West End) as Johnny.
Other characters will be read by Tommy Bracco, Stephen Cerf, Sarah Daniels, Morgan Dudley, Billy Finn, Natalie Gallo, Kingsley Leggs, Jess LeProtto, Robin Masella, Janayé McAlpine, Julio Rey, Deandre Sevon, Gabi Stapula, Johnny Tammaro, Joli Tribuzio and Noah Weisberg.
The Wanderer had its world premiere production at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2022. Get a look at that production here.
The Wanderer is written by Charles Messina (A Room of My Own) and directed by Emmy nominee Kenneth Ferrone (Prelude to a Kiss the musical at Milwaukee Rep, Cruel Intentions National Tour, and “Rent: Live” on FOX), with choreography by Sarah O’Gleby (Almost Famous, Shucked) and music direction, orchestrations and arrangements by Sonny Paladino (Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812, A Beautiful Noise).
“Dion puts the ‘Yo’ in New York. This is an authentic story of a kid from the Bronx who reached the highest of highs, fell to the lowest of lows — and lived to be the realest of real,” says Charles Messina.
Jill Menza said “This next chapter of The Wanderer feels especially electric. We’re thrilled to be moving forward with a creative team and dynamic cast that capture both the raw youth and the lasting soul of Dion’s iconic music and story.”
Stevie Van Zandt said, “Dion is not only a musical pioneer, but also an active, vital artist, who for more than 50 years has brought a fresh energy and excitement to popular music influencing song writers and performers for generations.”
“Dion’s music has been an inspiration to me and so many others for a lifetime,” said Maureen Van Zandt. Dion the man is just as – if not more – inspiring, and his story is one that needs to be told. The Wanderer does that beautifully, honestly, and joyfully. “
Dion. One name set the standard of cool in 1960s’ New York. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of a troubled Italian American kid from the Bronx’s unlikely journey through fame as a teenage heartthrob to eventual Rock & Roll icon in intimate detail. The man Bruce Springsteen once called “the link between Frank Sinatra and Rock & Roll,” Dion’s music helped define a generation, but the darker side of success threatened to bring it all crashing down.
The Wanderer is a moving, no-holds-barred new musical about the glow of the spotlight, the shadow of addiction, and the triumph of the human spirit against all odds, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music.
A proud New Yorker, Dion has written four songs with “New York” in the title at different times in his career! Most recently, released last year, “New York Minute” (co-written with Mike Aquilina); “New York Is My Home” co-written and performed with Paul Simon in 2015; “King of the New York streets in 1989; and “New York City Song” (co-written with Bill Tuohy) in 1975.
A few of the noted and celebrated artists who have collaborated with Dion throughout his career include Bryan Adams, Jeff Beck, Rory Block, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, Shemekia Copeland, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons, Van Morrison, Lou Reed, Brian Setzer, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Susan Tedeschi, and Steve Van Zandt, among many others.
Casting for The Wanderer is by The Telsey Office/Patrick Goodwin, CSA.
