A New Choreographer for \'Hands on a Hardbody\'

September 25, 2012, 3:00 pm

By ERIK PIEPENBURG

The Broadway choreographer Sergio Trujillo (“Memphis,” “Jersey Boys”) has taken over musical staging duties on the coming Broadway show “Hands on a Hardbody” from Benjamin Millepied, the producers of the show announced.

Mr. Millepied, a ballet choreographer known for his work on the movie “Black Swan,” said in a statement last week: “Regrettably, my schedule for this coming spring is shaping up to be busier than I'd anticipated and I won't be able to continue with the show, but I'm thrilled to have been involved with a great new musical.” A spokesman for the show said Mr. Trujillo will create entirely new choreography for the production.

Inspired by the 1997 documentary of th e same name, “Hands on a Hardbody” is about a group of people in Texas who participate in a contest that requires them to keep at least one hand on a brand new truck in order to win it. The show features a book by Doug Wright, a Pulitzer Prize winner for “I Am My Own Wife”; lyrics by Amanda Green (“Bring It On: The Musical”), music by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish and Ms. Green; and direction by Neil Pepe, who staged the 2008 Broadway revival of David Mamet's play “Speed-the-Plow”and is the artistic director of the Atlantic Theater Company.

“Hands on a Hardbody” had its premiere in May at the La Jolla Playhouse. In his review Charles Isherwood said the show “strikes a fresh, topical note for American musical theater by training a compassionate eye on the struggles of the lower-middle classes.” Of the dancing he wrote: “It seems a bit perverse to hire an internationally renowned dance-maker such as Mr. Millepied to create the sparse choreogr aphy; I would like to have seen more.”

Last weekend the L.A. Dance Project, a company Mr. Millepied founded along with the composer Nico Muhly and other artists, made its debut in Los Angeles, where Mr. Millepied lives with his wife, the actress Natalie Portman. Mr. Millepied retired as a principal dancer with New York City Ballet in 2011.

A theater, a cast and run dates for the Broadway run of “Hands on a Hardbody” are still to be announced.