Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and Mae Jemison Join Broadway's Galileo as Co-Producers
Three well-known science communicators are now co-producers of Galileo, a Broadway musical inspired by the life of Galileo Galilei. Lead producers Amanda Lipitz, Henry Tisch and Jordan Roth announced that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and Mae Jemison have joined the show. Deadline first reported the news as an exclusive.
A co-producer shares in the work of getting a show onto the stage, working alongside the lead producers. Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, a theater built to show the night sky. Jemison is a former NASA astronaut and the first woman of color to go to space.
Tyson is not new to the project. He narrated a new trailer for the musical, which was reported in June. Nye and Jemison are joining the show's producing team for the first time.
Raúl Esparza stars in the title role. Esparza is a Tony Award nominee. The book is by Danny Strong, and the original score is by Zoe Sarnak and Michael Weiner. Michael Mayer, a Tony Award winner, directs, and David Neumann is the choreographer.
Preview performances begin November 10 at the Shubert Theatre. Previews are early performances held before opening night, when the creative team can still make changes. Opening night is set for December 6.
The show is named for the Italian astronomer who, in the early 1600s, turned a telescope toward the sky and reported what he saw. The producers have now placed three people who have spent their careers explaining science to the public in its producing team.
