BBC
California
The Oscar-winning creators of the animation Frozen are planning a stage musical entitled Up Here, the show’s producer has said. Husband and wife team Robert Lopez - who co-wrote The Book of Mormon - and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are writing a romantic comedy, Scott Sanders told AP.
Up Here will be part of the 2015-16 season for the Californian theatre company La Jolla Playhouse. ‘It is witty, it is wicked smart, it is irreverent,’ said Sanders.  ‘It will appeal to a broad audience but it certainly will be something that even Millennials will relate to,’ he added.  Robert Lopez also helped write the equally irreverent puppet show Avenue Q. Together with Anderson-Lopez, he wrote the songs for Frozen, including the monster hit Let It Go. They also co-wrote the 2011 Disney film Winnie the Pooh. And Anderson-Lopez is one of the producers of Disney World’s Finding Nemo show.
‘I’ve been fans of the Lopezes for a very long time,’’ said Sanders. Up Here will be directed by Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers.
Timbers, who has been nominated for directing Rocky, is also known for his work on the hit shows Peter and the Starcatcher and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.
Sanders said: ‘Some of the characters are written in one of the protagonist’s imagination and it’s going to allow for some creative staging - so, of course, nobody’s better at that than Alex Timbers.’ Lopez and Anderson-Lopez have written the songs, lyrics and story for Up Here. A few readings have been held, and now a deadline has been made, Sanders added. Frozen, produced by Disney, was one of last year’s biggest animation hits. The 3D musical won numerous awards, including two Oscars and a Golden Globe.  It has also taken more than $864 million (£527 million) at box offices around the world.