10 Things I Hate About You Sets Broadway Premiere for 2027
The beloved 1999 teen rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You is officially heading to Broadway as a new musical, with Carly Rae Jepsen, Lena Dunham and Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon leading an exciting creative team. Performances are set to begin on 17 August 2027.
A beloved 1990s teen classic is getting a Broadway makeover. 10 Things I Hate About You, the much-loved 1999 romantic comedy inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, will officially arrive on Broadway in 2027.
The new musical will begin Broadway performances on 17 August 2027, exactly one year after the latest announcement. However, audiences will have to wait a little longer for further production details, with the theatre, casting and additional creative team still to be announced.
A star-studded creative team
The musical brings together some intriguing names from the worlds of theatre, television and pop music.
The book is being written by Lena Dunham, creator of Girls, together with award-winning playwright Jessica Huang. Music and lyrics will come from pop star and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen, collaborating with Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Ethan Gruska.
The production will be directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon, whose Broadway credits include MJ the Musical and An American in Paris. Tony and Grammy Award winner Tom Kitt will serve as music supervisor, arranger and orchestrator.
For Jepsen, the project represents a return to Broadway in a very different capacity. She previously appeared on Broadway in 2014 as Ella in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. This time, she is helping create the show's original score.
From cult film to Broadway musical
The original 10 Things I Hate About You premiered in 1999 and starred Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Set at Padua High School, the film followed sisters Kat and Bianca Stratford as they navigated teenage relationships, school politics and their very different approaches to romance.
Loosely based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the film became one of the defining teen movies of its era and has developed a lasting cult following.
The stage musical will return to the halls of Padua High, with the story once again centred on two sisters attempting to find their own identities while dealing with crushes, cliques and teenage expectations. The new production is described as a story about growing up, discovering yourself and refusing to live according to other people's expectations.
The film's legacy is also closely associated with its soundtrack and, in particular, Heath Ledger's memorable performance of “Can't Take My Eyes Off You”. Whether that iconic moment will receive a musical-theatre equivalent remains one of the questions fans will undoubtedly be asking as the Broadway production develops.
Casting remains a mystery
While the creative team is already generating considerable excitement, the actors who will bring Kat, Bianca, Patrick and the rest of Padua High to life have yet to be announced.
Interestingly, an open casting call held earlier this year sought performers for the roles of Kat, Bianca and Patrick, suggesting that casting work has already been well underway behind the scenes.
With the Broadway premiere now firmly dated, further announcements are expected to reveal both the cast and the theatre in which the musical will play.
For fans of the original movie, the prospect of seeing a new generation take on these instantly recognisable characters is likely to be one of the most anticipated aspects of the production.
With Carly Rae Jepsen bringing her pop sensibility to an original Broadway score, Lena Dunham and Jessica Huang reimagining the story for the stage, and Christopher Wheeldon directing and choreographing, 10 Things I Hate About You could prove to be one of Broadway's most intriguing new musicals of 2027.
One thing is already certain: on 17 August 2027, Padua High is opening its doors once again.
