Johnny Appleweed (2006)

the world premiere
Book, Music, and Lyrics by
Scott Miller
Oct.12-Nov. 4, 2006
ArtLoft Theatre, St. Louis
Production Webpage
Purchase the script here.
Purchase the vocal selections here.
Ask about production rights!

THE CAST
Johnny Appleweed – John Sparger
Mark Dodger – Aaron Allen
Suzanne Moon – Ember Hyde
Jesus Christ – Matthew Korinko
Fannie Mae Butcher – Kimi Short
Carla Roe – Alice Kinsella
President John J. Birch – Brian Claussen
The Happy Stoner – Kimi Short
The Philosophical Stoner – Matthew Korinko
The Professional Stoner – Brian Claussen
A Monk – Matthew Korinko
Mom and Dad Dodger – Alice Kinsella, Brian Claussen
Mrs. Birch – Alice Kinsella

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Set Designer – G.P. Hunsaker
Asst. Technical Director – Robert Strasser
Lighting Designer – Ken Zinkl
Costume Designer – Russell J. Bettlach
Props Master – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Concessions/House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Michael C. Daft

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Chris Petersen
Bass – Dave Hall
Guitar – Mike Renard
Percussion – Mike Schurk

THE REVIEWS
“This smart, engaging musical satire clearly intends to reclaim American mythology for folks whose political sentiments are proudly left of center. . . With book, music, lyrics and direction by Scott Miller, Johnny Appleweed has the energy and wit of the early Saturday Night Live. Indeed, there’s a gloriously irreverent sketch-comedy sensibility at work. . . Even if you don’t share its attitudes about marijuana, the state of American democracy or the current occupant of the Oval Office, Johnny Appleweed is likely to win you over. It’s a giddy delight.” – Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“It may just be that producer/director Scott Miller has wasted his greatest talents on highly authentic revivals of other people’s shows these last sixteen years. It may be that all that time, he should have been writing musicals about other people just getting wasted. . . Johnny Appleweed is full of excellent melody and excellent humor carried through by highly proficient performers, in this latest entry in the St. Louis Political Theatre Festival. . . The physical direction sparkles, and the band led by Chris Petersen is agile and compelling. The songs are beautiful, and the jokes are nearly all sure-fire. . . It’s quite stupendous.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway.com

“It’s hard to believe that Johnny Appleweed is a musical – thankfully, it doesn’t resemble any of your typical Broadway fare. . . Without ruining the end, I’ll just say that it’s magical. In more ways than one. But the idea that was handed to me in the most obvious way during this musical was about popular culture. Too many people regard potheads as complete idiots, but this depiction of them was brilliantly intelligent. I really liked everything that they had to say. Maybe we should start listening to those potheads.” – Kaylen Hoffman, PlaybackSTL

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
The early years of the new millennium were a fascinating time for our world, a time of lingering fear, of battling world views, of killing to answer killing, of lies “for the greater good.” In some ways, these years were a dark time for America, as truth quickly became subjective, as patriotism was questioned, as political agenda supplanted morality. It was the kind of time that King Arthur always feared, when Might defined what was Right instead of being used to defend what was Right.

But it was also a time of Light, when patriots across our country rose up decisively and reclaimed from our past the most sacred of all American traditions – political dissent. Much like John Adams and Thom Paine, these Americans fought fiercely for their country, this time in the pages of newspapers and magazines, on websites and in blogs, on television and radio, even in feature films. It was a time of genuine courage, when ordinary men and women were no longer afraid to Speak Truth to Power, to say that war is always wrong and that, though killing is sometimes necessary, it is never Right. It was a time when humans began finally to understand that the search for Truth is never over and that there is no single path. Minds opened, hands reached out, and bullies were finally and rightfully ridiculed in the most public of terms.

It was a time when Americans realized their government had been taken from them, had been slowly and subtly removed from the hands of the citizenry, by a dangerous few who believed we weren’t smart enough or tough enough to know the Whole Truth, that we couldn’t be trusted to make the right choices. So like their forefathers, Americans rose up in stark defiance, with public protest, impassioned debate in the halls of Congress, and perhaps most potent of all, political satire. After all, what robs a tyrant of his power more quickly than to be made the object of ridicule?

After golden eras in the 1770s, 1860s, 1930s, and 1960s, political satire returned home to our fruited plain, in theatre, film, television, and books, the sharpest knife in the arsenal of political discourse. And so the absurdity and danger of a government without oversight loomed over us for only a moment in history, until pens could be sharpened and presses could be fired up. As it was conceived and as it has always been, the people of these United States are still the best check and balance on tyranny ever conceived on earth. As long as we pay rapt attention and never divert our eyes, no one can ever dismantle the great experiment that is America.

We have the power. We are the government. We make the laws. And as long as we never forget that, then government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Jesus Christ Superstar (2006)

Book and Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
June 1-24, 2006
ArtLoft Theatre, St. Louis
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/jcspage.html

THE CAST
Judas/Jesus – John Sparger and Khnemu Menu-Ra
[These two actors alternated in the leading roles.]
Mary – Kimi Short
Caiaphas – Kevin Collier
Annas – Aaron Allen
Pilate – Christopher “Zany” Clark
Herod – Charles Glenn
Peter – Adam Leong
Simon – Joy Ducree
Apostles/Press/Others – Sarah Armstrong, KinĂ© Brown, Joy Ducree, Joseph Garner, Charles Glenn, Alison Helmer, Ember Hyde, Adam Leong, Uchenna Ogu, B.C. Stands, Scott Tripp

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Assistant Director – Chris Owens
Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Fight Choreographer – Nicholas Kelly
Costume Designer – Thom Crain
Set Designer – Todd Schaefer
Lighting and Sound Designer – Florian Staab
Asst. Lighting Designer – Seth Pyatt
Props Master – Vicki Herrmann
Audio Engineer – Steve Massey
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Concessions/House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Michael C. Daft

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Chris Petersen
Bass – Dave Hall
Trumpet – Carl Nelson
Guitar – Mike Renard
Percussion – Mike Schurk
Reeds – Marc Strathman

THE REVIEWS
“Director Scott Miller has brilliantly reimagined the early Andrew Lloyd Webber triumph for the here and now. . . Lloyd Webber’s unforgettable music and Tim Rice’s witty lyrics benefit mightily from Miller’s chamber-musical approach. Without the customary bombast, it’s possible not only to hear the show, but to listen to it. . . [The two leads] bring superlative showmanship to the proceedings without forsaking emotional truth. And their singing is at once convincingly anguished and gloriously theatrical. . . Smart, engaging and ultimately poignant, this Superstar is a winner.” – Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Director Scott Miller promised to bring something new and different to his New Line Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and he did. . . There is excellent work throughout the cast, and Miller’s casting choices are exemplary. . . A superior production. . .” – Joe Pollack, KWMU-FM

“This production rocks the house. If your soul needs re-charging plug in to the Art Loft for some soul food. Be warned, as I said, it’s apparently not for everyone, but then what is anymore? Take an open mind and a need to groove.” – Kirsten Wylder, KDHX-FM

“A climax that was shocking both in terms of the action itself and in terms of what impact it brought to the production as a whole. . . Miller’s modernization concept gives the production a thought-provoking aura. The production also avoids the tendency of the final scenes to feel interminable.” – Backstage

“New Line Theatre’s minimalist approach focuses audience attention appropriately on the music, which is well-sung by the ensemble and backed up by a great band.” – Deanna Jent, The Riverfront Times

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Why set Jesus Christ Superstar in the present? First, because that’s what the show’s creators intended back in 1970. Second, because it’s a very complicated story about subversive politics, power, and empire, and setting it in the present hopefully makes all the players and all their agendas clearer and easier to understand. It shows us the important political and social parallels to our world today, helping make this ancient story come alive for us in 2006. Whether or not you believe Jesus was the Son of God, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t a great philosopher who changed the world. But he was also a rebel, a radical political activist, and that side of his life is often ignored or forgotten today – even though it holds great relevance for us.

When lyricist Tim Rice wrote Superstar, he said in many interviews that the story he was telling was not about God or religion or divinity. It’s about political activism – the eternal battle between grass roots movements and entrenched governmental authority. Jesus Christ Superstar isn’t about Jesus’ teachings on morality, but instead about how his radical populist agenda challenged and terrified those in power – and brought danger to his followers. Also, Superstar was meant to be the story of Judas, not Jesus, and why Judas felt he had to betray his friend. The entire show is one possible answer to that question, a question Christians have wrestled with for centuries. Even the show’s title refers not to Jesus himself, but to Judas’ perception of Jesus’ mistake in allowing himself to become a “star” at the expense of his message.

We’ve also attempted in this production to use everything we know now about the historical Jesus in order to tell this story as truthfully as possible. Scholars all agree now that Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute; she was probably a rich girl from a town that was a hotbed of subversive political activity. She was probably very smart and opinionated and one of Jesus’ closest confidantes. Most scholars agree that Jesus had a lot more than twelve disciples and that many of them were women. Also, Bible scholars now know that the Jewish temples of Jesus’ time and the early Christian church used cannabis extract in their anointing oils (so the THC would absorb into the skin) and in their incense during religious rituals, the smoke helping the devout to experience religious visions. Politics, religion, sex, money, power, even drugs. The world of Judas and Jesus is not so different from ours.

Though some of our choices with Superstar may seem surprising or “radical” to you, every choice was made to tell this story as clearly, as fully, and as honestly as possible, and to be true to the writers’ intent. After all, radical actually means “of or pertaining to the root or original; fundamental.” This is one of the greatest stories ever told, but not only for religious reasons. Jesus’ movement provided the template for every great political movement that came after, including the American anti-slavery movement, the women’s suffrage movement, the Civil Rights movement, the feminist movement, the gay rights movement, and so many more.

Originally Superstar was written to illuminate the politics of the 1960s, but now it can also illuminate the politics of a new millennium. We hope you see new things in this classic show tonight and we also hope you find in it new insights into the tumult of our times.

Bat Boy (2006)

Book by Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming
Music & Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe
Licensed under agreement with Weekly World News
Feb. 23-March 18, 2006
ArtLoft Theatre, St. Louis
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/batboypage.html

THE CAST
Edgar – Todd Schaefer
Dr. Thomas Parker – Matthew Korinko
Shelley Parker – April Lindsay
Meredith Parker – Deborah Sharn
Sheriff Reynolds – Brian Claussen
Ron/Mayor Maggie – Stephanie Brown
Deputy Bud/Daisy/King of the Forest – Aaron Allen
Mrs. Taylor/Rev. Hightower/Roy – Nicholas Kelly
Rick/Lorraine – Jeffrey Pruett
Ruthie/Ned/Impassioned Female Soloist – Christine Brooks

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Costume Designer – Thom Crain
Set Designer – Todd Schaefer
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Props Master – Kimi Short
Specialty Props – Pat Edmonds
Lighting Technician – G.P. Hunsaker
Sound Technician – Steve Massey
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Concessions/House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Michael C. Daft

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Chris Petersen
Guitar – Mike Renard
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Joshua Costello

THE REVIEWS
“New Line’s artistic director, Scott Miller, has brought Bat Boy back in all its screwball glory. It is a moment to savor… Bat Boy is just as much fun as it was the first time around… This is musical theater for audiences who think that musical theater can’t be hip. They’re in for a very smart surprise.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“New Line Theatre scores another hit this season with its wacky musical, Bat Boy: The Musical… Congratulations are in order for Miller and his amazing cast/crew for putting the fun back in musical theater. This production will definitely be in contention for my best show of 2006. Kudos to New Line Theatre!” – Jim Campbell, Playback STL
“Part spoof, part fantasy, part plea for tolerance and understanding and love, part rowdy and raucous musical comedy, Bat Boy adds up to outstanding entertainment, and the New Line Theatre production brings the evening to exciting, high-powered life.” – Joe Pollack, KWMU-FM

“Snatched directly from the headlines of your friendly neighborhood grocery-store tabloid, Bat Boy is raucous entertainment with a social message occasionally emerging from pun-strewn humor. The New Line Theatre production scores nicely, with Scott Miller’s direction gathering up almost all the loose ends.” – Backstage

“Some shows are just too much fun to let slip away. In that vein, nearly the entire cast of New Line’s 2003 Bat Boy has returned to sink their teeth into this show (and into American life) one more time. They do a spectacular job with a silly comedy full of deep meanings, under the highly organized direction of Scott Miller… as always, it comes down to great singing and great comedy. This show has more than enough of each to draw us out of our own mid-winter’s bat cave, foraging for fun.” – Richard Green, KDHX-FM

“You’ve read about him in the Weekly World News; now see the Bat Boy live in this energetic New Line Theatre production… Director Scott Miller’s slick staging keeps the story in sharp focus, maintaining a difficult balance between the script’s campy comedy and its genuine emotion.” – Deanna Jent, The Riverfront Times

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
It’s rare that a piece of theatre becomes more relevant the older it gets but sadly, Bat Boy is doing just that. Prejudice and intolerance in America just keeps getting stronger and more pervasive.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, all of America was saddened to see that almost all the people left behind in New Orleans were poor African Americans. No one had even considered that most of them did not own cars and therefore couldn’t get out of the city by themselves. As days went by with no hope of rescue, most of us felt nothing but shame for our country. As far as our government was concerned, these Americans apparently didn’t matter.

In December, the rabid right-wingers declared that there was a War on Christmas. Why? Because too many of us were acknowledging other religious and cultural traditions by offering friends and family the more inclusive “Happy Holidays.” To so many religious conservatives, the act of including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or other winter rituals in our good wishes was the worst kind of blasphemy. It seems only Christmas is worthy of mention in America, even for non-Christians.

And still today, some in Congress and the White House want to amend our Constitution to make gay marriage illegal, forever enshrining their prejudices and demoting ten percent of Americans to second-class status. None of the people “protecting marriage” can ever explain how two women getting married endangers a straight couple’s relationship, but that doesn’t slow them down. Sounds like the kind of hysteria surrounding Edgar in Bat Boy.

And in the Southwest, there are now vigilantes aggressively going after undocumented immigrants from Mexico, forgetting that almost all our ancestors came to America from other lands, all with the same dream of liberty, peace, and hope for the future. And of course, we’re told these immigrants are to blame for a whole litany of America’s ills.

And then there’s Iraq, a country we invaded for less than legitimate reasons, and upon which we’re now trying to impose our culture and our governing system without bothering to understand at all their culture and their desires for their country. Apparently, nobody really understands morality and justice except us. Again, it sounds a lot like the townspeople in Bat Boy.

But maybe Bat Boy's greatest strength is that though it’s about all these important issues, it never bludgeons the audience with them (though, as you may know from our other shows, we’re not entirely opposed to bludgeoning now and then). I’ve always believed theatre to be potentially one of the most powerful forces for change because it can address issues without an audience noticing. It can personalize and humanize. It can get people thinking without them realizing it. It’s sneaky that way. Kinda like a hopped-up kid creeping up on a defenseless little bat boy in a cave. But I digress…

We hope you enjoy getting to know the bat boy tonight as much as we have enjoyed it. He may have fangs, big pointy ears, and an unfortunate taste for fresh blood, but the world could use a few more like him. And instead of demonizing all who are different from us, we would do well to consider that maybe they aren’t the monsters, after all…

A New Line Cabaret III: When Musicals Attack (2006)

a world premiere revue
featuring songs from Cop Rock, Bat Boy, Urinetown, Johnny Appleweed, Avenue Q, A New Brain, Mame, Ragtime, The Last Five Years, Floyd Collins, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Spelling Bee, The Wild Party, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and other shows
January 9-10, 2006
Sheldon Concert Hall

THE CAST
Aaron Allen
Isaac Bondurant
Brian Claussen
Thom Crain
Alison Helmer
Ember Hyde
Nicholas Kelly
April Lindsey
Mo Monahan
John Rhine
Todd Schaefer
Deborah Sharn
Kimi Short
Angela Shultz
Victoria Thomas
Scott Tripp

THE STAFF
Director - Scott Miller