"Rock Of Ages" producer Matthew Weaver has acquired the stage rights to Soul Train, the TV series that was a prominent forum for R&B, pop and hip-hop artists for 35 years, from 1971-2006, according to USA Today.
Stage and film producer Matthew Weaver, who helped create "Rock of Ages," has acquired the theatrical stage rights to "Soul Train" and said Tuesday he's hoping to repeat his success by turning "Soul Train" into a show that attracts both die-hard Broadway fans and those who usually avoid Times Square, USA Today reported.
"I'm nervous and I'm humbled and I'm excited," said Weaver, who heads the production company MediaWeaver Entertainment, according to USA Today. "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," with its trademark animated train opening, provided a national, weekly showcase for R&B artists, black culture and fashion, and gave advertisers an entree to the black consumer market, USA Today reported.
The TV show, a sort of black version of "American Bandstand," featured such acts as James Brown, Al Green, Ike and Tina Turner, Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Prince, Run D.M.C. and Destiny's Child during its 35-year run, according to USA Today.
Don Cornelius started the music and dance show in 1970 in Chicago and served as its host until 1993, USA Today reported. It aired in syndication from 1971 until 2006 and spun off an awards show that is still aired. Cornelius killed himself in 2012.
Weaver recalled growing up in New York and making sure to watch "Soul Train" every Saturday morning, mesmerized by the dance, fashion and music. He plans to next hire a writer and get music rights, according to USA Today. His only timeframe for the stage is "when the story's right."
"'Rock of Ages' is an awesome show, but it's not just because we have 'Sister Christian' and 'Don't Stop Believin" and serve liquor in the aisles that that show is still running five years later. It's still running because we have a great story and great characters," said Weaver, USA Today reported.
Weaver, who produced such films as "We're the Millers" and "The Heartbreak Kid," has grown "Rock of Ages" into an international brand, with a film version, three national tours and productions of the show in Las Vegas, London, Australia, Toronto, Japan and South Korea, according to USA Today.
