Musical about the making of the film Jaws finds its star to play Spielberg

The stage musical about the making of the classic film Jaws has speared its leading man – Jarrod Spector.

Tony-nominated Spector, whose Broadway credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Cher Show, will play Steven Spielberg in Bruce.

Bruce, based on Jaws screenwriter Carl Gottlieb’s 1975 memoir The Jaws Log, will premiere at Seattle Rep, with previews beginning on May 27 and an opening night set for June 8.

It is named after the nickname given to the 25ft mechanical great white shark star of Jaws.

The musical centres on a young Spielberg facing poor weather, dangerous water, hostile locals, an exploding budget, endless delays and a highly dysfunctional Bruce to make Jaws.

In a statement, Spector said it is a “real honour to portray perhaps the foremost genius in all of filmmaking” and that the musical is “about the group of brilliant artists who stared down every obstacle imaginable to somehow emerge with this genre-defying masterpiece. I just hope Mr Spielberg doesn’t mind that his singing voice sounds an awful lot like my own”.

Bruce has music by Richard Oberacker and story and lyrics by Oberacker and Robert Taylor, the team behind the 2017 Broadway musical Bandstand.

It will be directed and choreographed by Donna Feore.

Spector grew up in Philadelphia, attended Princeton University and trained at Atlantic Theatre Company.

He made his Broadway debut as Gavroche in the original production of Les Miserables.

Spector played a record-breaking 1,500 performances as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on Broadway.