Credit: Phil AndelmanBeastie Boys are getting the musical theater treatment. A musical called License to Ill, a reference to the Beasties' seminal 1986 debut album, will be staged at the Camden People's Theatre in London next month.
"The Beastie Boys' story sheds light on many issues still raising hackles: racism towards & within rap; misogyny; the battle for hip-hop's soul, between those using it for protest, & for profit," reads the musical's official description. "We follow the gang from teenage punks, via their discovery by legendary producer Rick Rubin, to their induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame."
As for whether Licensed to Ill is, well, actually licensed to be shown, co-writer Simon Maeder tells Pitchfork that, "Whilst we have ensured the Beastie Boys are fully appraised of our plans for the show, this is an unauthorized production based on the Beastie Boys story."
License to Ill will be playing at the Camden People's Theatre from November 23 to December 12.
In other Beastie Boys news, the band has signed a deal with New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music that will allow students to record in the group's famed Oscilloscope studio in New York City. In addition to the Beasties, artists such as Jack White, Phoenix and Metric have recorded at Oscilloscope.
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