Richard Gere, star of hits 80s film "An Officer and a Gentleman", set to be reworked as a musical

It has been confirmed that classic 80s film "An Officer and a Gentleman" will be transformed into a musical.  The duo charged with the responsibility for creating a musical of the classic romance are Australian John Frost and American Sharleen Cooper Cohen. John Frost is perhaps Australia's most successful producer of plays and musicals.  He is responsible for the international phenomenon "Wicked", in which he invested $500,000 of his own money to get going.  He is also responsible for bringing "Dr Zhivago" to musical theatre.

The '80s film propelled Richard Gere into an international heartthrob and its final scene in which Gere's character whisks the factory worker played by Debra Winger off her feet is incredibly iconic.  The couple who will be filling Gere and Winger's roles for the musical are Ben Mingay and Amanda Harrison.  Both are established performers on the stage with Mingay starring in "Jersey Boys" and Harrison in Frost's "Wicked".

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With the production in the safe hands of theatre legend Frost, the transition from screen to stage will no doubt be seamless.  Given his track record, there should be high hopes for this musical come May 2012.

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