Musical About Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks In Development

Rosa Parks was an integral part of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, her protest against being moved to the back of a bus inciting the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott, as well as transforming her into an international icon of resistance to racial segregation.

So it's understandable that the civil rights activist is getting her own musical.

According to a report from Shadow and Act, a new stage musical based on the life of Rosa Parks is in development. The play, titled Rosa, will chronicle the activist's time as a seamstress up until the event's that led to her becoming "the mother of the freedom movement."

Rosa will be written by Victoria Gimby and Stuart Matthew Price and produced by UK-based international theatre production company United Theatrical.

Producer James Yeoburn said the following in a press release for the show.

"We have been passionate about telling Rosa's story since meeting Victoria last year. Victoria and Stuart have captured in their work the rise of one of history's most powerful women whose life was spent campaigning for equality not only for her race but for her gender and class. We are delighted to see how beautifully this translates for the stage. This is a human story about an everyday person investing fearlessly in what she felt was right and her contribution has never been more relevant. Rosa's story is taught to all ages throughout the education systems both in the US and here in the UK. Her message remains strong and continues to empower our leaders of tomorrow."

It'll be interesting to see how Rosa portrays the legendary Rosa Parks, especially because she continued to be such an important part of the 1960s Civil Rights movement, well after the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The musical is currently being workshopped under the direction of Matt Ryan, with a full scale production being planned thanks to interest on both sides of the Atlantic.