IT seems an unlikely combination – a member of one of the world’s biggest rock bands and the “People’s Princess”.
But Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan is hard at work putting together a musical about Princess Diana.
Keyboard player David also pens hit shows with pal Joe DiPietro. And, as the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death is marked next month, he wants her musical story on stage.
“It goes from when she was a little girl right up to the divorce,” David, 55, told iN10. “We look at this idea of being a fairy tale princess and then what the realities of that were.
“Joe had been looking at an article and it occurred that no one had done a musical, certainly on our side of the pond.
“We were around the same age and she was absolutely huge in America.
“I started doing different takes on it and we’ve done a couple of acts now.
“It’s new and exciting and in development and people like where we are with it so far.”
Turning an idea into a hit show can take six to eight years according to David, who says you always need to have more than one thing on the go.
Chasing The Song, about a pioneering female song publisher in ’60s New York, is another in development.
But the pair already have Broadway success behind them with Memphis running for three years and winning four Tony Awards including Best Musical.
And another of their shows, The Toxic Avenger, is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe next month having already played off-Broadway and in London, to where it will return in September.
The musical is based on a cult 1984 schlock-horror comedy film and David says fun is very much the order of the day.
“It’s the polar opposite of Memphis which featured heavy issues,” laughs New Jersey-based David.
“This is about a superhero from New Jersey and it mocks everything – it’s so wrong, it’s right.
“When I saw what had been done with the show in the UK I was laughing my head off, I thought it was a 10 out of 10. I want to get across to Edinburgh and I’m working out my summer schedule between the musicals and the band so I can hopefully make it happen.”
If David does make it to Edinburgh to see his show make its Fringe debut, it will be familiar territory.
He recalls many visits to the city and Scotland in general with sell-out Bon Jovi tours.
“I love the castle and the warmth of the welcome from the people. I think one of our first shows was about 1984.
“Like any other band we started out at the bottom and worked our way up.
“When you finally get to play big stadiums it couldn’t get any better. It’s surreal that so many people are out there to see you and you’re just having a blast.”
David was the first to get the call when Jon Bon Jovi found out he’d got a recording contract, so the pair go way back.
“Jon and I have been playing together since we were 17,” he reveals. “That was back in 1978, so it’s a long time.
“We’re playing on and having fun and it’s good to look out into the audience and see so many smiling faces.
“It’s great to make new music and I think the band is still firing on all cylinders. We just finished a bunch of shows in America for our latest album This House Is Not For Sale as part of a tour that’ll take a couple of years. We got to number one in 30 countries and the energy shows through.
“We went into the studio and bashed it out and making it was real fun.”
While the new stuff is very much part of the show, classics like Keep The Faith, Wanted Dead Or Alive and Livin’ On A Prayer will always go down a storm with fans.
“There are no songs I don’t like to play,” adds David.
“It’s never about just one song, it’s the combination of the whole evening.
“You just want to get out there and play and see people have a good time.”
The Toxic Avenger
Pleasance One, August 2-28
To book tickets for The Toxic Avenger visit pleasance.co.uk
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