STAGE TUBE: Inside the Rehearsal Room with Whitney Bashor & Shoshana Bean for BEACHES THE MUSICAL

BEACHES THE MUSICAL is ready to take the Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago by storm before it eyes a Broadway run. Performances at the Drury Lane Theatre will begin on June 24, 2015 and will run until August 16th. Beaches the Musical is based on the novel with the same name by Iris Rainer Dart. The novel has been transformed already into a 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey.

Beaches the Musical follows two extraordinary friends through 30 years of camaraderie, laughter and sorrow. Vivacious, outlandish Cee Cee and beautiful, privileged Bertie meet as children and become fast friends. From pen-pals to roommates to romantic rivals, Cee Cee and Bertie's oil-and-water friendship perseveres through even the most tragic trials. With a touching vulnerability, Beaches exemplies the triumph of the human spirit and the bonds of sisterhood.

The new musical features a book by Iris Rainer Dart and Thom Thomas, lyrics by Dart and music by David Austin. Beaches the Musical features Broadway veterans Shoshana Bean (Wicked, Hairspray) and Whitney Bashor (The Bridges of Madison County).

The rehearsal process is in full swing and BroadwayWorld has a backstage look as the cast a creative team work to bring Beaches the Musical on its feet for the first time.

Whitney Bashor discusses working on a new show and getting to create this world of Beaches the Musical. She says, "Creating a new show is like giving birth to something. It starts off as this little infant and you sort of have to shephard it into the world." Shoshana Bean spoke to creating a new character for the stage saying, "I've never had the opportunity to create a role from the ground up like this. It's a little bit of pressure."

Writer of Beaches the Musical and also the original novel, Iris Rainer Dart, spoke to making Beaches into a musical and working alongside Bashor and Bean. Dart says, "They just constantly amaze me. With their understanding of the characters and the depth of their acting. When we watch them we keep exchanging looks saying, 'Can you believe how lucky we got?'"

The theme of friendship and finding a best friend is a very important theme in Beaches the Musical and everyone in the rehearsal room spoke to that. Dart says, she hopes that everyone "goes home and calls a friend and tell them how much they care about them."

Performances at the Drury Lane Theatre start on June 24, 2015. For tickets and more information visit: http://drurylane.com/live-theatre/beaches/

To check out the full rehearsal video of BEACHES THE MUSICAL click on the video.