Foreigner Musical Scheduled to Debut in April
Foreigner the musical is coming. Feels Like the First Time – The Foreigner Musical is set to run April 17 through 26 at the Little Theatre on Long Island University’s Brookville…
Foreigner the musical is coming. Feels Like the First Time – The Foreigner Musical is set to run April 17 through 26 at the Little Theatre on Long Island University's Brookville campus.
Expect the show to feature the band's celebrated chart-toppers, including "Cold As Ice," "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is." The musical is a collaboration between the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and Long Island University's Post Theatre Company.
The Theme of Foreigner's Musical
So, what's the theme of the show? The musical takes place in 1985 and depicts a suburban family who wins an MTV contest with a grand prize of getting a weekend visit from a rock star and a private backyard concert.
"This new show represents everything I love about making theater—great music, fun storytelling, and meaningful collaboration," director Adam Pascal says. "Partnering with Foreigner, Tilles Center, and LIU Post Theatre Company to develop a brand-new musical in an academic setting creates a rare and powerful environment where artists and students are building something together from the ground up."
Foreigner never tried to be cool. That’s part of why they lasted. Formed in 1976 by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, the band understood something early on that a lot of arena rock acts missed. Big hooks don’t have to mean empty songs. Across “Foreigner,” “Double Vision” and “4,” they built a catalog that felt massive without feeling fake. The choruses were huge, sure, but there was always a little ache underneath them.
“I Want to Know What Love Is” isn’t just a power ballad. It’s soft in a way most hard rock bands wouldn’t touch at the time. “Cold as Ice” snaps with attitude, but it’s sharp, not cartoonish. Even “Juke Box Hero” plays like a working-class daydream instead of some bloated rock myth.
They walked that line between hard rock muscle and pop precision better than almost anyone in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The riffs hit. The melodies stuck. The emotions felt real.
Foreigner became one of those bands people grow up with. They’re on classic rock radio, at hockey games, in the background of road trips. The songs don’t demand reinvention. They just hold up.
