NEW YORK — The groundbreaking song-and-dance show “Soul Train” is chugging toward Broadway.
Stage and film producer Matthew Weaver, who helped create “Rock of Ages,” has acquired the theatrical stage rights to the TV show and said Tuesday he’s hoping to repeat his success by turning “Soul Train” into a show that attracts die-hard Broadway fans and those who usually avoid Times Square.
“I’m nervous and I’m humbled and I’m excited,” said Weaver, who heads the production company MediaWeaver Entertainment. “I do think we’re the right people to do it, because I think it’s got to have that spirit of ‘Rock of Ages,’ which is part old-fashioned musical but also part party.”
“Soul Train,” a sort of black verson of “American Bandstand” synonymous with deep-voiced host Don Cornelius, was a weekly showcase for R&B artists, black culture and fashion. It featured such acts as James Brown, Al Green, Ike and Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Prince, Run D.M.C. and Destiny’s Child during its 35-year run. Moves that “Soul Train” dancers developed spread nationwide.
Cornelius started “Soul Train” in 1970 and served as its host until 1993. He killed himself in 2012.
“To me, that’s the heart of ‘Soul Train’ — a great story and great characters,” Weaver said. “The music will be great, the fashion will be great, the ambiance, the vibe.”
