When you think of a comedian on Broadway, who instantly comes to mind? might not have been your first thought, but he is no stranger to theater. Although the renowned funnyman is known for his jokes, he's also a multi-talented actor who uses his skills to perform, produce, and write projects across a wide range of genres. Ferrell's 2020 Netflix musical comedy is one of those productions that the actor wrote, starred in, and co-produced. The idea of came to the California native in 1998, when he was introduced to Eurovision, a European song tradition, by his wife, and now it's headed to Broadway.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga stars Ferrell as Lars Erickssong, a middle-aged man with dreams of winning the Eurovision Song Contest, and Rachel McAdams as Sigrit Ericksdóttir, Lars' bandmate and life-long best friend who yearns for a romantic relationship. Their characters, Icelandic singers, aspire to represent their country during the popular international singing competition. One of the songs from the film, "Husavik," was even nominated for an Oscar. In a statement shared by Variety, Ferrell said he was ecstatic to bring the film to the big stage.

"We are more than excited to bring Eurovision to Broadway," the actor said. "The stage musical is a perfect place to continue our celebration of all the things we love about this amazing and unifying song competition."

Ferrell will be writing the adaptation of the musical with Harper Steele (who has worked with Ferrell before) and Anthony King. Alex Timbers is directing the show and the music will be by Savan Kotecha. The cast and show's timeline have not been announced yet, but Timbers was quick to declare that Ferrell and Steele are his heroes.

"Will Ferrell and Harper Steele are my comedy heroes. And when I first saw their joyful movie 'Eurovision' during the pandemic, it buoyed spirits during a very dark time. With this stage adaptation, I can't wait to bring that same mix of heart, spectacle, irreverence and awe to audiences across the world."

The Anchorman star made his Broadway debut in a 2009 one-man (very fitting) show, You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush. It ran from February 5, 2009, to March 15, 2009, and is based on Ferrell's impression of the former president, which was inspired by NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL). The play apparently brought in almost a million, a little over its first week, which broke the house record at the Cort Theater.

New experiences can start a creative fire in anyone's mind, even well-versed comedians like Will Ferrell. The actor had no idea what Eurovision even was until his wife introduced him to it in the late '90s. Once he experienced it, Ferrell couldn't believe his eyes. During an interview back in 2020, the actor talked about the process behind his hit Netflix film.

"We were visiting her family in Sweden and her cousin had asked us for dinner. It was in the month of May, and my wife asked, 'Should we sit down and watch Eurovision?' I said: 'What is that?' and she said, 'You don't know what Eurovision is?' It was the night of the final, and I just sat there in front of the TV transfixed as to what was going on. I had no idea. I could not believe this amazing show, which just immediately turned on my comedy brain and I thought, 'Somebody has to make a movie about this.'"

Source: Variety