America’s beloved Griswold family is packing their bags for their next big adventure: The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation, The Musical. Based on Warner Bros.’ popular Vacation franchise, the new musical is set to debut in Seattle at the 5th Avenue Theatre this fall.
Starting in 1983 with National Lampoon’s Vacation, the Chevy Chase-led franchise follows a suburban family whose road trip getaways never seem to go as planned. Originally titled Broadway Vacation, the new show will run from September 10 to October 1 in Seattle, and then again at Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars from October 25 to November 6.
“I couldn’t think of a better place for the Griswolds to start their journey to Broadway than Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater,” said producer Ken Davenport in a statement (via Deadline). “Can’t wait to throw our bags in the family Truckster and head out.” Davenport has an extensive producing resume, including Broadway runs of Kinky Boots and Spring Awakening. He described these first two engagements as “prior to Broadway,” and that a Broadway venue and dates would be announced in the future.
The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle has served as a springboard for other Broadway-bound productions in the past, such as Hairspray, Aladdin, Memphis and First Date. “I can’t think of a family better than the Griswolds to tag along with as they embark on this brand-new Broadway adventure,” added the 5th Avenue Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry. “We could not be more thrilled for this wildly fun production to kick off our 2022/23 Season.”
Great Movies That Became Horrible Franchises
Sometimes the best movies make the worst franchises. In the ten examples below, inventive, groundbreaking cinema became the source material for some of our least favorite film series.
