Before American TV audiences discovered "Empire," run by the Lyons, the 1995 cult-classic film Empire Records made its unique mark in American culture's permanent record. Its soundtrack featured GRAMMY nominees the Gin Blossoms' "Til I Hear It From You," among others '90s favs, and its cast showcased rising stars Anthony LaPaglia, Debi Mazar, Liv Tyler, and Renée Zellweger.
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Actor Maxwell Caulfield, who had already starred in Grease 2, played sketchy pop star Rex Manning, and the movie's plot takes place over a one-day period as record-store employees deal with his in-store appearance. Based loosely on scribe Carol Heikkinen's personal experiences at Tower Records, the retail staff hatch plans to buy the outlet to prevent it from being acquired by a franchise chain.
As the film's 25th anniversary approaches, Heikkinen, producer Bill Weiner and composer/lyricist Zoe Sarnak discussed their exciting plans, with Rolling Stone, to re-embody its mid-'90s essence into a Broadway musical in 2020.
Of course, it is no coincidence this announcement was made in time for the anniversary of the store's big promotional event — Rex Manning Day on April 8.
"I'm a huge fan of Nineties alt-rock, and it was a really special time when that style intersected with punk, grunge and even pop," said Sarnak, who is a rising star in musical theater herself. "These styles can inform a score that is melodic while still feeling organic, visceral and explosive. Needless to say, this won't be a 'traditional' Broadway score." Sarnak also hinted the Rex Manning pseudo-hit "Say No More, Mon Amour" might make it into the new version.
"I knew we had something when I would tell people about the show and consistently see faces light up," said Weiner. "Everyone has a story, whether it's that they saw the movie 10 times, stole the video cassette from an older sibling or the soundtrack was the first CD they ever purchased."
