Viva Forever, a musical based on the best-selling girl group of the 1990s, will open in London on Nov. 5, 2010, according to new reports. Named after their 1998 No.1 hit, the musical is currently in pre-production and being written by Kim Fuller — who also penned the script for the group’s 1997 film Spiceworld. Kim is the brother of former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller.

Viva Forever will chronicle the rise of the groups five members, Geri Halliwell, Mel B, Victoria Beckham, Mel C and Emma Bunton, with the help of 14 of the band’s biggest hits.

The 20-year-old star — best remembered as Miley Stewart’s on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack Ryan on Disney’s Hannah Montana – has signed on to appear in the war-themed musical Over Here!, opening on New York’s famous theater district next year.

“Cody is very excited about going to Broadway,” says a rep for the star.

The critically-acclaimed punk rock opera is currently playing an extended world-premiere run at Rep’s Roda Theatre in Berkeley, CA, through Nov. 15, but an adaptation of the show is currently in pre-production for a debut on New York’s Great White Way.

“There is a Broadway future for the show, but at this time no dates or theatre are confirmed,” spokesman Michael Hartman told Playbill.com on Nov. 9.

Reeve Carney, of the rock band Carney, has been cast in the U2-penned Broadway musical of Spider-Man, opening in 2010.

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Cheryl was elminated from the ninth season of Dancing With The Stars last month after her celebrity partner, Texas republican Tom DeLay, bowed out of the competition with a season-ending injury.

Abigail Breslin, the Academy Award-nominated star of the 2006 cinema gem Little Miss Sunshine, is set to play Helen Keller in her Broadway debut next March, but not everyone is happy about it. Breslin, 13, has been cast as the deaf-blind Keller in a stage revival of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker, producer David Richenthal said Wednesday. However, activists with Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, an advocacy group representing blind and deaf actors, take issue with Abigail’s casting.

The group insist an accurate potrayal of Keller’s life requires the skills of an actress who shares her disabilities. On Thursday, executive director Sharon Jensen told The New York Times that she is opposed to Breslin’s Helen Keller casting:

“We do not think it’s OK for reputable producers to cast this lead role without seriously considering an actress from our community. I understand how difficult it is to capitalize a new production on Broadway, but that to me is not the issue. There are other, larger human and artistic issues at stake here.”

Preview December 28 and the show is expected to run for 14 weeks.

Other high-profile film actor’s appearing on Broadway this year include Jude law, Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The original show featured a book by Neil Simon and a score composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
The new production — directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford — will star Sean Hayes and Emmy and Tony Award-winning Broadway alum Kristin Chenoweth, producer John Gore told The Associated Press Monday. Sean is best known for playing Jack on the popular NBC comedy Will & Grace, while Krisitin won an Emmy on the now-defunct ABC series Pushing Daisies. She last appeared on Broadway in the 2006 revival of The Apple Tree.

Promises, Promises will open April 25, 2010, at the Broadway Theatre. Preview performances begin March 28.

“The girls would have to work intensely on a TV show for a short period of time. But they then launch a musical which could run for months or even years. It will take on a life of its own. The concept could even be replicated in other countries. The sky is the limit with this one,” an insider divulged to The Sun.

The show – rumoured to be called Spice Idol – will see the singers sit on an American Idol-style judging panel.

“This is an idea which appeals to all of the original members,” added the source. “It’’s a fantastic new way to broaden out the Spice franchise and cash in on their personalities, their story and their songs.”

Shrek, based on Dreamworks’ smash animated film franchise and the characters in William Steig’s book, has seen its weekly grosses dwindle since the end of summer, according to reports.