Phish’s Trey Anastasio Heads to Broadway

In one of the odder creative journeys we’ve seen over the last several years, Phish‘s Trey Anastasio is prepping his Broadway debut, a musical based on a 1997 documentary about a competition based on contestants’ ability to keep at least one hand on a truck for an extended period of time.

Titled ‘Hands on a Hardbody,’ the film was a festival hit for director S.R. Bindler, and Robert Altman was developing a fictionalized adaptation when he passed away in 2006 — but few people could have expected that it would serve as the inspiration for a musical play, let alone one with songs from a member of Phish. Nevertheless, the ‘Hardbody’ play received its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, Calif., earlier this year, and now it’s headed for the Great White Way.

In its report, Rolling Stone quoted an earlier interview with Anastasio in which he described the challenges of writing for the stage, saying, “This was a complete revelation to me. In the past, I’ve habitually led with the music … These songs are, by their very nature, far more direct emotionally than many songs that I’ve written or co-written in the past. Writing for singers other than myself, or another band member, has been incredibly liberating.”

Don’t go looking to buy your tickets just yet, however. The New York Times reports that ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ is aiming for its Broadway debut during the 2012-13 season, but the show’s producers are still lining up specific dates, as well as casting and location.