Rosie O’Donnell joins new musical’s producing team

Exclusive: Rosie O’Donnell has joined the producing team of Indigo, a new musical about an unconventional family told through the perspective of a non-speaking autistic teenager.

The musical is currently planning a London premiere in 2027. O’Donnell decided to become involved after seeing the UK premiere of Indigo at Curve in Leicester in 2025.

“Indigo is the most beautiful and authentic depiction of autism in a kid as I have ever seen. This story needs to be seen by the world,” said O’Donnell.

The musical follows three generations of women as they navigate autism, Alzheimer’s, addiction, loss and family relationships. Emma, a non-speaking neurodivergent teenager, experiences the world through colour and light, with the production aiming to give audiences an insight into her sensory experience.

The show has a book by Kait Kerrigan, with music and lyrics by Scott Evan Davis. It is conceived by Davis, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione, and directed by Catie Davis. Brad Haak is music supervisor and orchestrator, with scenic and video design by Andrzej Goulding, lighting design by Jake DeGroot and sound design by Matt Peploe.

Indigo was developed in collaboration with members of the autism and neurodivergent communities. The actor playing Emma has been neurodivergent in every production to date, including the Leicester run.

“Having her on our team is a reaffirmation of our goal and commitment,” said Davis. “When we first conceived Indigo, our goal was never to explain autism to an audience. It was to tell the story of a kid who is not a victim, who is not broken and doesn’t need to be changed.”

O’Donnell has previously worked extensively in theatre and television. She hosted The Rosie O’Donnell Show for six years, winning 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, and has moderated The View. She has hosted the Tony Awards three times and appeared on Broadway in Grease, Seussical and Fiddler on the Roof, as well as serving as lead producer of Taboo.

In 2003, she founded Rosie’s Theater Kids, which provides free theatre and life skills education to New York City public school students. She also produced the 2025 documentary Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism.

The production of Indigo is led by Lorenzo Thione, Joey Monda and Jay Kuo of Sing Out, Louise! Productions, which has previously produced Broadway shows including Days of Wine and Roses and Allegiance, as well as co-producing Hadestown, The Inheritance, A Strange Loop, Slave Play, & Juliet, Mrs Doubtfire and The Notebook.

Further details about the planned London production of Indigo are yet to be announced.