Huey Lewis' foray into Broadway with his jukebox musical, The Heart of Rock and Roll, has come with plenty of surprises, but also the fun of watching new generations engage with his beloved catalog.
And while Heart of Rock and Roll prominently features all of Huey Lewis & the News' biggest hits, Huey tells Q104.3 New York's Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show that it's been especially rewarding to see the creativity of the show's co-creators and cast at work.
"The orchestrator Brian Usifer has done an amazing job of reimagining a lot of our songs, such that some of the biggest numbers in the show are tunes of ours that were on, you know, Side 2 and never was a hit — sort of buried [on the album], in fact," Huey says. "That's been particularly neat to see how some of these lesser songs amount to so much in the show."
While Huey was approached numerous times about doing a music, he admits he never thought it would actually come to fruition. The show was in development for nine years before beginning previews this past March and opening in April.
"The notion that here we are is amazing," he adds. "And to watch the people enjoy the musical was really gratifying, to see our songs live this other life and all the joy it inspires is really good. And the show's got a lot of heart, it's not just funny, but it's got a lot of heart and we're very proud of it."
Watch the full conversation between Jim, Huey and Heart of Rock and Roll star Zoe Jensen via the player above!
Photo: Getty Images North America