MCC Theater Announces World Premiere of 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' Musical for 2027 Off-Broadway

MCC Theater announced today that it will stage the world premiere of a stage musical adaptation of Peter Hedges’ 1991 novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape as part of its 40th‑anniversary 2026‑27 season. The musical will open in June 2027 at the theater’s Newman Mills Theatre in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.

The book will be written by Hedges, who also adapted the novel into the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. Music and lyrics are credited to Adrian Enscoe, Christopher Sears, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn. Enscoe, Shepherd and Strayhorn form the Brooklyn‑based indie‑Americana trio Bandits on the Run, while Sears is a longtime friend of the group. The production is produced in association with Matt Ross, Dede Harris and Linda Rubin.

In a statement, MCC’s Co‑Artistic Director Will Cantler said, "We’ve known Regina, Sydney, Adrian, and Chris through both their acting and their remarkable music (go to any Bandits on the Run concert you can!)." He added, "Anne Kauffman is one of our favorite directors and we’re excited that she will bring back her unparalleled gift for calibrating a twisty tale as she did so beautifully in our productions of The Nether and Smokefall." Cantler also noted, "Peter Hedges is one of our longest collaborators and friends, developing the novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in a series of chapter readings at MCC in 1989. How fitting to come full circle."

The musical follows the story of Arnie Grape, a grocery‑store clerk who lives with his dysfunctional family in the fictional rural town of Endora, Iowa. The narrative centers on Arnie’s attempts to cope with his obese mother, mentally disabled younger brother, and two sisters while yearning for a life beyond the town’s borders.

MCC’s 40th‑anniversary season also includes the world premiere of Anon – a tempest at our kitchen table by Anne Washburn, directed by Kauffman. The play will preview on September 25, 2026, open on October 13 and run through November 1 at Newman Mills. Its synopsis describes a clash of households in a suburban Texas setting when a gay pride flag is unfurled across the street.

The season’s New York premiere of The Heart Sellers by Lloyd Suh, directed by May Adrales, is scheduled for January 2027 at the Susan & Ronald Frankel Theatre. The play’s synopsis recounts a chance Thanksgiving encounter between two immigrant strangers in 1973.

MCC Theater, founded in 1986 by Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey and William Cantler, moved to its current location in 2019. The 40th‑anniversary lineup showcases the company’s commitment to new writing and musical theater.

Casting and creative teams for the What’s Eating Gilbert Grape musical will be announced at a later date. The production is set to bring a beloved literary and cinematic story to the stage, offering audiences a new medium to explore its themes of family, responsibility and escape.

The world premiere is slated for June 2027, with the other season productions beginning in September 2026 and January 2027. MCC has confirmed that the musical will be the season’s flagship show and that additional details will follow as the production progresses.