“Harold and the Purple Pencil”
(Photo: Everett Collection)

A stage adaptation of the beloved children’s book Harold and the purple pencil is in preparation and aims for Broadway! The production will feature original songs composed by Jack and Ryan Met of popular indie band AJR. Tony-winning producer Vivek J. Tiwary is also attached to the project. Other members of the creative team, including a writer and director, are to be announced.

” We have adored Harold and the purple pencil growing up, and we thought: what if we see Harold as a young adult, realizing his issues are too deep to just walk away,” AJR said in a statement. “Vivek’s incredible musical work and his passion for this idea made him the perfect partner to reinvent the classic story.”

In this new staging, Harold, once the baby in the classic book, is now a young adult facing real-life problems and learning that he can no longer rely on his magic purple pencil.

Composed of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, AJR is a talented trio known for the songs “I’m Ready”, “Sober Up”, “Burn the House Down”, “Way Less Sad”, “100 Bad Days”, “Weak”, “Bang!” and more. AJR has earned a triple platinum single, a double platinum single, four platinum singles, and a platinum album. They played on TODAY The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.