A night on the Great White Way just isn’t complete without Bruce Lee sending a flying kick into some poor schmuck’s mouth while “China Girl” plays in the background. Fortunately, that oversight is about to be addressed, with the upcoming release of a musical based on the life of Bruce Lee, featuring music by David Bowie.
And, as if that weren’t enough to send legions of martial-arts-musical fans slobbering off to Hot Tix, the Brothers Weinstein are planning their own kung fu spectacle, a musical version of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Is Broadway big enough for two feuding bands of martial arts warriors? Only time will tell, but when it comes to brawling, the smart money is always on the (ex-) Miramax Mafia.
Should both of these epics prove successful, expect a host of copycat kung fu musicals to follow. Rumor has it that Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray,” “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”) is already fleshing out tunes with Quentin Tarantino for “Kill Bill: The Musical,” and Ralph Macchio has indicated his availability to star in “Singin’ in the Dojo: A Karate Kid on Broadway.”
