Following the success of his Netflix musical film Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, playwright and filmmaker David E. Talbert has been tapped to develop a musical series for Disney Branded Television. The series, Madelyn Square Gardens, marks the first development project announced since Ayo Davis was elevated to President, Disney Branded Television.
Madelyn Square Gardenstells the story of a young woman named Madelyn as she moves to New York from Mississippi, thinking her dreams of being on Broadway are about to come true. But she soon discovers that she will need more than raw talent to beat out the competition at her elite performing arts school. She will also set off on an unexpected journey that will reveal why her grandfather ran off to New York City with his own Broadway ambitions, never returning home.
Talbert, alongside his wife and partner, Lyn Sisson-Talbert, will produce through their Golden Alchemy Entertainment banner.
“David’s devoted fan base continues to grow because his passion for joyful stories with a strong emotional connection shines through to create something truly unique that transcend all limits,” said Davis. “We look forward to working with him at Disney, where music is part of our programming DNA and where we’ve proven that great stories, coupled with world-class music, can connect viewers across cultural, socio-economic and geographical lines.”
In addition to Madelyn Square Gardens at Disney Brander Entertainment, Talbert has Better Late, a single-cam comedy in development at sibling ABC, which he is produced alongside LeBron James and Maverick Carter of Springhill Entertainment.
Talbert most recently wrote, directed and produced Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey for Netflix. He also directed the features Almost Christmas, Baggage Claim and First Sunday. In theater, he wrote and produced 14 national tours, including The Fabric of a Man, for which he won the NAACP’s Best Playwright of the Year Award. He also won the NAACP Trailblazer Award for his accomplishments in theater and the New York Literary Award for Best Playwright of the Year for his musical Love in the Nick of Tyme.He’s the best-selling author of “Baggage Claim,” “Love on the Dotted Line” and “Love Don’t Live Here No More: Book One of Doggy Tales,” which he wrote with Snoop Dogg.