‘Twilight: the Musical’ Gearing Up for Brief Off-Broadway Run

It seemed like only a matter of time before the “Twilight” series was turned into a musical, and now that time has come. But it might not be the musical you were expecting.

“Twilight: The Musical” will make its Off Broadway premiere as a one-night only reading on January 16 at New World Stages, with proceeds going to Blessings in a Backpack. The official website for the musical describes the show this way:

“Twilight: The Musical” is a parody of the “Twilight” saga in the vein of “Urinetown” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” “Twilight: The Musical” examines our culture of obsession through the story of teenage outsider Bella Swan who risks everything when she embarks on a star-crossed romance with Vampire Edward Cullen.”

Though little is known about the musical, characters with names like “Harry Potter” and “Hermione Granger” appear in the musical. And as Entertainment Weekly points out, Lauren Lopez, who played Draco Malfoy in “A Very Potter Musical,” is also set to star in “Twilight.” “A Very Potter Musical” is parody of the Harry Potter franchise that became an internet sensation and spawned a sequel. Early indicators seem to allude that “Twilight: The Musical” may be in the same vein as that production.

“Twilight: The Musical” was written by Ashley Griffin, with music and lyrics by Jeremy Ezell, Ashley Griffin, Sean Mahoney, David Mallamud and Michael Sutherland. The one-night reading will be presented by Ulmer Thearticals, Moxyrah Productions and Dreamcatcher Entertainment., and the performance will be directed by Gabriel Barre and choreographed by Matthew Neff.

No word has yet been released on the future plans of the show. The same Entertainment Weekly article points out that even though the musical does not seem to be affiliated with Stephenie Meyer or the official “Twilight” franchise, parodies are normally not in violation of copyright law, provided they are obviously a spoof.