VIDEO: Go Inside THE HARDER THEY COME Sitzprobe at The Public Theater

The Public Theater has released a sneak peek following the first performance of the musical adaptation of the classic Jamaican film last night. The video features songs by both the legendary reggae musician Jimmy Cliff (including "I Can See Clearly Now" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want") and additional new songs by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks ("Hymn," "Hero Don't Never Die"), who has also written the book.

Watch the video!

The creative team also includes music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Kenny Seymour, choreography by Edgar Godineaux, co-direction by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Tony Award nominee Tony Taccone. The production began performances in the Newman Theater with a Joseph Papp Free Performance on Thursday, February 16 and will run through Sunday, March 26, with an official opening on Wednesday, March 15.

The breakthrough film, produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone, tells the story of Ivan, a young singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, eager to become a star. After falling in love and cutting a record deal with a powerful music mogul, Ivan soon learns that the game is rigged, and as he becomes increasingly defiant, he finds himself in a battle that threatens not only his life, but the very fabric of Jamaican society. Featuring Grammy Award winner Jimmy Cliff's hits, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" and "Many Rivers to Cross," former Artistic Director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre Tony Taccone directs this new musical, with co-direction by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo and choreography by Edgar Godineaux.