Gilbert Grape Musical Gets Off Broadway Premiere in
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- MCC Theater announced the world premiere of a "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" stage musical for June 2027 at its Newman Mills Theater, as part of the company's 40th Anniversary 2026-27 season.
- Peter Hedges will write the book's adaptation, with music and lyrics by Adrian Enscoe, Christopher Sears, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn — three of whom comprise Brooklyn-based indie-Americana band Bandits on the Run.
- Anne Kauffman directs the musical, which MCC Co-Artistic Director Will Cantler framed as "coming full circle" — Hedges developed the novel in chapter readings at MCC in 1989.
- The 1993 film adaptation of "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" starred Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliette Lewis and was directed by Lasse Hallström.
- MCC also unveiled two more 40th-anniversary season productions: Anne Washburn's "Anon – a tempest at our kitchen table" (previews Sept. 25, 2026; opens Oct. 13) and Lloyd Suh's New York premiere "The Heart Sellers" (January 2027).
- The Gilbert Grape musical is produced in association with Matt Ross, Dede Harris, and Linda Rubin, with casting and full creative teams to be announced later.
Why it matters: The project brings a beloved 1990s property back to the New York stage with a creative team rooted in indie-Americana, and the "full circle" framing underscores MCC's four-decade development relationship with Hedges dating to 1989 chapter readings of the source novel.
