David Byrne’s American Utopia, which will air on HBO Max later this year, will first open the Toronto Film Festival in September. As previously announced, Oscar winner Spike Lee filmed the theatrical concert during the tail end of its Broadway run.
TIFF 2020, which runs September 10–19, will be presented as a hybrid of virtual and in-person events, according to The Wrap.
American Utopia features songs from Byrne’s 2018 album of the same name, along with hits from his time as Talking Heads frontman and throughout his solo career. Joining him onstage are an eclectic group of international musicians: Jacquelene Acevedo, Gustavo Di Dalva, Daniel Freedman, Chris Giarmo, Tim Keiper, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Mauro Refosco, Stéphane San Juan, Angie Swan, and Bobby Wooten III.
In 2018, the show played engagements in 27 countries and bowed at Boston’s Colonial Theatre and New York’s Hudson Theatre the following year. A return engagement was slated to begin in September at the Broadway venue but now postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Production Photos: David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway