The reports were true! Lin-Manuel Miranda's first full post-Hamilton musical will debut as a concept album, releasing October 18 via Atlantic Records.
The musical is Warriors, adapted from the 1979 film The Warriors. Miranda has collaborated with Obie Award-winning actor/writer Eisa Davis on the piece. Grammy Award winner Nas is executive producing the concept album, with Mike Elizondo producing. Casting, expecting to involve a large roster of A-listers, is to be announced.
The Warriors film, which features a screenplay by David Shaber and Walter Hill adapted from Hill's 1965 novel, follows a NYC street gang traveling from The Bronx to their home neighborhood of Coney Island after being framed for murder. The original film created a brief moral panic over gang violence, leading to a mixed initial reception, but it has since become a cult favorite.
See a preview trailer for the release below:
The Warriors stage project was first reported last year, with news of the concept album and Davis' involvement leaking in a report earlier this month.
"We've spent the past three years musicalizing the Warriors' journey home, from the South Bronx to Coney Island," says Miranda and Davis in a joint statement. "Along the way we've gotten to work with a lot of our favorite artists, and we'll be announcing their roles on the album in the weeks ahead. We can't wait to share these songs with you on October 18th."
The release will see Miranda fulfilling his original plan for Hamilton, which the Tony winner initially intended to be a concept album titled The Hamilton Mixtape but it ended up becoming a full-length Broadway musical (he did bring that title back for a 2016 album of chart-topping recording artists covering the songs from the musical). Though not exactly common, musicals beginning life as concept albums are far from unheard of. Jesus Christ Superstar; Evita; Jekyll & Hyde; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Here Lies Love; and Hadestown all first existed as concept albums before becoming fully staged musicals.
What's less clear is what Miranda and Davis' endgame for the project might be. Concept albums can be devised to exist on their own—much like The Who's Tommy, which didn't get a stage adaptation until decades after its release. Though considering the attention on Warriors, perhaps a stage version won't be far behind.
The album can be preordered at WarriorsAlbum.com.
