The 1998 graduating class of Huntington Hillside High School is finally getting together for their 25th reunion… and it’s a musical!
On Saturday, Can’t Hardly Wait co-writer/director Deborah Kaplan announced a stage musical in the works based on her and Harry Elfont‘s 1998 cult classic teen movie, which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green and Charlie Korsmo.
She shared the title art and tagged the official Instagram profile for Can’t Hardly Wait: The Musical, writing in the caption, “And that’s all I’m able to say @canthardlywaitthemusical #comingsoon.”
Kaplan tells Deadline that she and Elfont are “mostly benevolent godparents watching from the sidelines” on the upcoming musical.
Can’t Hardly Wait: The Musical is produced by Michael Barra of Lively McCabe Entertainment.
Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose, Ethan Embry, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Peter Facinelli and Charlie Korsmo in Can’t Hardly Wait (1998). (Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Co-writers and directors Deborah Kaplan Harry Elfont on the set of Can’t Hardly Wait (1998). (Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
The original 1998 romantic comedy followed six high school seniors at their grad night house party, where Preston Meyers (Embry) plans to give his long time crush (Hewitt) a love letter after their chance encounter four years before.
Can’t Hardly Wait boasts an all-star ensemble of the era’s young Hollywood, including Selma Blair, Jason Segel, Melissa Joan Hart, Jerry O’Connell, Donald Faison, Jaime Pressly, Clea DuVall, Leslie Grossman, Breckin Meyer, Sara Rue, Sean Patrick Thomas, Amber Benson, Marisol Nichols, Joel Michaely and Jennifer Elise Cox.
Serving as Kaplan and Elfont’s directorial debut before they went on to helm Josie and the Pussycats (2001), as well as the shows Mary + Jane (2016) and Liza on Demand (2018-2021).