Beating a path to Broadway 
 

Takonkiet Viravan's Waterfall The Musical has received mixed reviews in the US, but he still believes it can reach the biggest stage of all.

A scene from the American adaptation of Waterfall The Musical. 

 

For TV mogul Takonkiet Viravan, musical theatre is the love of his life. Since 1997, he has spared time from lucrative TV production to direct a dozen contemporary Thai musicals. His latest ambition is to have a production on Broadway, though the path is not as simple as following the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. 

"To take a Thai musical overseas is a challenge filled with opportunities and obstacles. It requires hard work and genuine dedication," said Takonkiet, now 49, referring to his new baby Waterfall The Musical, adapted from classic novel Kanglung Paab (Behind The Painting), a drama about unrequited love and class tension set in the 1930s. 

Takonkiet produced a Thai musical from the book in 2008, and has transformed it into a Thai-American collaboration that premiered last month at Pasadena Playhouse in California. 

Takonkiet said the new adaptation, while maintaining the main theme, adjusted some elements to fit American culture, namely by transforming a Thai lady into an American and highlighting the exotic quality of Thai culture.  

Takonkiet Viravan. 

"Lyricist Richard Malby Jr. chose Kanglung Paab. We see the potential of the story as Broadway material, like the culture clash among the main characters, the unfulfilled love story, and the exotic setting,"... 

After some adjustment, he said, the musical will continue its run in the Avenue Theatre, Seattle, this October, and then the possibility of making it to Broadway will be further discussed. 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/music/610784/beating-a-path-to-broadway