CO-DIRECTORS ON WHY BEACHES, A NEW MUSICAL IS A STORY ABOUT FRIENDSHIP THAT STILL RESONATES
Photo by Jenny Anderson
In both the best-selling novel and beloved film, Beaches revolves around a love story, but not a romantic one. At its heart, it’s about lifelong friendship, chosen family, and the people who shape us across decades. Now heading to Broadway in a new musical adaptation, Co-Directors Lonny Price and Matt Cowart have been shaping this story together for years, bringing both deep personal history and a shared creative language to the production.
How long have the directors of Beaches, A New Musical worked together?
Lonny and Matt have been creative partners since 2006, a rarity in an industry built on short-term collaborations.
Lonny: Directing can be a lonely job. When Matt started working with me, he was technically my assistant, but that didn’t last long. He was doing far more than the role required, and he made my work better. At a certain point, I realized I didn’t want to do this without him. If I was going to keep directing, I wanted a partner.
Matt: We’re very different people, which is what makes it work. We don’t just agree with each other. We challenge each other. Two perspectives make the work stronger. And we genuinely enjoy working together. We laugh a lot. We remind ourselves that this is play. If it’s not joyful, then something’s off.
Lonny: There’s also trust. Taste matters. Having someone whose instincts you respect, who will push you and say “we can do better,” that’s a gift. I started out teaching Matt, and now I learn from him just as much. That evolution keeps the work alive.
What is Beaches, A New Musical really about?
While many people know Beaches from the beloved film, the musical expands and deepens the story in a uniquely theatrical way.
Matt: We’ve always described it as a love story between two women that isn’t romantic. It’s about a deep, lifelong friendship. The kind that carries you through different versions of yourself. Ambition, heartbreak, success, failure, joy, loss. Everyone either has a relationship like that or wishes they did.
Lonny: Female friendship is different. Cee Cee and Bertie are a team. They’re almost like a single word. The show honors that closeness and emotional fluency. It’s about being fully known by someone over decades, and choosing each other again and again.
Why does female friendship play such a central role in the show?
One of the defining themes of Beaches, A New Musical is its focus on women supporting, challenging, and growing alongside each other.
Lonny: Women’s friendships often allow for a depth of emotional intimacy that many men never give themselves permission to experience. The show doesn’t judge that difference, it simply illuminates it. Cee Cee and Bertie grow together, apart, and back together again. That rhythm feels very true to life.
Matt: It’s not about perfection. It’s about staying connected through change. That’s what makes it relatable across generations.
Photo by Jenny Anderson
What makes this version of Beaches, A New Musical special?
This production of Beaches reflects years of creative exploration, refinement, and collaboration.
Matt: One of the biggest challenges was scale. The story spans decades and so many locations. We had to find the right container for it. Once we cracked the visual language, it stopped being about realism and became a metaphor for having a friend for thirty years.
Lonny: There’s also a strong sense of nostalgia. The clothes, the eras, the music. You can feel the audience recognizing themselves. You hear people whisper, “I had that blouse.” That recognition is emotional. It connects personal memory to the story unfolding on stage.
How does the show make audiences feel when they leave the theatre?
Many audience members describe Beaches, A New Musical as an experience that stays with them long after the curtain comes down.
Lonny: The show earns its emotion. It isn’t manipulative. It’s truthful. It’s sad, but it’s also deeply hopeful. You leave reminded of who matters to you.
Matt: People walk out wanting to call their best friend. Or realizing they should have brought them. That’s the gift. The show doesn’t end when the lights go up. It follows you home.
Why does Beaches, A New Musical feel especially relevant right now?
In a time when audiences are craving sincerity and connection, Beaches meets people where they are.
Lonny: It reminds us that love isn’t only romantic. Sometimes it’s the person who knows you best, who’s been there through every chapter, and who keeps choosing you anyway. Stories about friendship, kindness, and chosen family feel essential right now.
Matt: At its core, it’s about connection. And that’s something people are hungry for. Beaches doesn’t ask you to be cynical. It invites you to feel.
About the Directors
Lonny Price and Matt Cowart serve as co-directors for Beaches, A New Musical, bringing together decades of acclaimed theatre expertise with fresh collaborative energy.
Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Lonny Price is celebrated for his work on Broadway productions including Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Glenn Close’s Sunset Boulevard, and his Emmy-winning direction for television. His distinguished career spans Broadway, regional theatre, film, and television, earning him recognition as a director who creates emotionally resonant theatrical experiences. Price’s Broadway directing credits also include critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Company.
Matt Cowart co-directs the Broadway-aimed production of Beaches, having previously collaborated with Price as associate director on Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Sunset Boulevard, and other major productions. The directing partnership between Price and Cowart represents a blend of seasoned artistry and innovative theatrical vision, working together to bring Iris Rainer Dart’s beloved story to the Broadway stage.
Together, Price and Cowart previously directed the 2024 premiere of Beaches at Theatre Calgary, which received critical acclaim and multiple BroadwayWorld Calgary Award nominations. Their collaborative approach emphasizes strong performances and authentic storytelling, ensuring that the timeless friendship between Cee Cee and Bertie resonates with contemporary audiences.