A musical comedy about the Grim Reaper's retirement is about to take over the Mandell Weiss Theatre, and La Jolla Playhouse has extended the run by a week. GRIM begins performances Tuesday and tells the story of Diana, daughter of a Grim Reaper who is stepping down after 300,000 years of collecting souls, as she weighs whether to take his job or chase a romance with a human teenager named Josh.
The show's official run was extended through Dec. 6 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre, according to La Jolla Playhouse. Previews run from Tuesday through Nov. 1, with the official opening set for Nov. 8, and the production runs roughly two and a half hours including a 15-minute intermission. La Jolla Playhouse notes it is the only authorized ticket seller for the production.
Diana is torn between the family business and dorky human teen Josh, the kind of unexpected crush that complicates what the Playhouse describes as a simple succession test. The show is recommended for audiences 12 and older given its strong language and discussions of death.
A Creative Team Behind GRIM
GRIM was written by Brad Silnutzer and Joey Orton, with a score from Petro AP and Scott Hoying, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Orton and Silnutzer later teamed with Petro AP to create a 15-song unauthorized stage musical inspired by The Fast and the Furious — a project that found an audience well beyond San Diego. That show, The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody, went on to sold-out runs in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, per the same report, and has sold out every performance since its inception.
According to the Union-Tribune, the Fast and the Furious parody also sold out its entire run at Los Angeles's Dynasty Typewriter Theater in 2019.
Pentatonix's Scott Hoying Makes His Musical Theater Debut
Scott Hoying, a founding member of Pentatonix, is part of GRIM's songwriting team, the Union-Tribune reports. GRIM marks his musical-theater writing debut, according to BroadwayWorld, a notable pivot for an artist whose group has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. Short-form musical content involving Hoying drew more than 20 million views within four months, per the Union-Tribune.
The production is led by director Sammi Cannold, with choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler, a three-time Tony Award winner recognized for his work on Bandstand, In the Heights and Hamilton. Paolo Montalban will play the title role of the retiring Grim Reaper, according to Playbill. Jessica Stone has described the show as an exploration of legacy, ambition and mortality delivered through humor, cheekiness and pathos, per the Union-Tribune's reporting.
Songs, Showtimes and Talkbacks
The show is staged at the Mandell Weiss Theatre.
La Jolla Playhouse has also scheduled Talkback Tuesdays following the 7:30 p.m. shows on Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, plus a Discovery Sunday discussion after the 1 p.m. performance on Nov. 22.
