Jesus & Johnny Appleweed's Holy Rollin' Family Christmas (2023)

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Scott Miller
Original Orchestrations by John Gerdes

Nov. 30-Dec. 16, 2023
Grandel Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos
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THE CAST
Harry Goodson – Terrell Thompson
Bess Goodson/Johnny Appleweed – Kay Love
Tammy Goodson/Sandra Dee – Marlee Wenski
Chip Goodson/Jesus – Tony L. Marr Jr./Shane Rudolph
Uncle Hugh/Gerry – Tawaine Noah
Carolers – Robert Doyle, Matt Hill, Stephanie Merritt, Lauren Tenenbaum

THE NEW LINE BAND
Conductor/Keyboard – Mallory Golden
Bass – John Gerdes
Reeds – Joseph Hendricks
Reeds – Alex Macke
Percussion – Brad Martin
Guitar – Adam Rugo

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Directors – Scott Miller, Tony L. Marr Jr.
Choreographer – Tony L. Marr Jr.
Music Director – Mallory Golden
Stage Manager – Emily Floyd
Technical Director – Matt Stuckel
Costume Designer – Lauren Smith Bearden
Sound Designer – Ryan Day
Scenic Designer – Dr. Rob Lippert
Lighting Designer – Matt Stuckel
Props Master –Erin Goodenough
Master Electrician – Stephanie Robinson
Scenic Crew – Corey Anderson, Richard Brown, Stephanie Robinson, Bill Stuckel
Volunteer Coordinator – Alison Helmer
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

REVIEWS

“Christmas gets a wacky, if pungent, new look in Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas, a musical comedy having its world premiere at The Grandel Theatre in St. Louis. New Line Theatre producer and co-director Scott Miller wrote the very pro-marijuana show, with musical orchestrations by John Gerdes. And it features an impressive range of Mr. Miller’s original songs, many of which fall into a ravishing ‘cool jazz’ style. Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s ... is a story that manages to feel revolutionary, with some arch, comical family conflict. But it also gets us surprisingly high on the Christmas spirit, without a trace of second-hand smoke. . . and when the power of the singing matches the subtle ‘50s jazziness of the music, the show floats giddily along. . . It’s funny that you can take this much-less traveled road to guaranteed Christmas cheer, and get there all the same. The original music is very impressive, blending with sometimes pointed satire for a snarky (and oddly charming) holiday event.” – Richard Green, Talkin’ Broadway

“What if Seth Rogen, Charles Dickens, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cheech and Chong, Christopher Hitchens, Hunter S. Thompson, and John Waters decided to have a baby? If you placed their DNA in some sort of invitro Vitamix and hit the frappe button, one of the resulting octuplets might become Scott Miller, artistic director of New Line Theatre, who goes on to write the book, music and lyrics for the mildly subversive Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas. . . a welcome – if salty – palate cleanser from some of the holiday season’s other truly family-friendly options.” – CB Adams, KDHX

“A hilarious trip. Holiday revelers and partiers looking to take their celebrations to new highs should plan to pop into The Grandel Theatre for New Line Theatre’s original holiday musical spoof Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas. . . . The show is not for everyone, and is definitely not for children. However, it’s an upbeat musical spoof with a plethora of pointed satire underneath the holiday haze. For those looking for abundant laughs that gently but consistently poke fun at the season and social norms, Jesus and Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas is a great choice.” – Tina Farmer, The Riverfront Times

“New Line Theatre’s new musical, Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas, is a pot-laced Dickensian-Cheech & Chong-esque Holiday spoof that is reminiscent of when Saturday Night Live was in its heyday and was actually funny. . . It’s an irreverent musical comedy chock-full of laughs. While most of the jokes are related to changing times 7-decades ago, you don’t have to be a baby boomer to understand and appreciate Miller’s hysterical script. If you’re looking for funny, adult-themed holiday entertainment that is a complete diversion from more traditional holiday fare, Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas will certainly add some laughs to your holiday entertainment.” – James Lindhorst BroadwayWorld

“Founder and artistic director Scott Miller reprises his Johnny Appleweed character in the world premiere of his new musical romp, Jesus & Johnny Appleweed's Holy Rollin' Family Christmas, a fun-filled lampoon of Christianity, middle America and the straight-laced culture of the 1950s. . . This isn’t your family’s traditional Christmas story, if your family is that 'heteronormative' type described in the show’s second number. It’s likely however to become a New Line favorite.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“At first glance, the daffy Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas takes us back to the fuddy-duddy ‘50s, with the on-stage stylings of TV sitcom land when dads ruled the roost and moms vacuumed wearing pearls. But it’s far more subversive than that. . . As a tongue-in-cheek response to the War on Drugs and the Culture Wars, writer Scott Miller uses clever cultural references to make it clear how the bygone era, complete with hearty laugh-track type guffaws, was a white-bread wonderland where a middle-class suburban family has blinders on regarding diversity, inclusion, and sexual orientation. . . this resembles the audacious dark comedy material that John Waters and Charles Busch specialize in.” – Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL

“New Line is a theatre company that’s not afraid of taking risks. They’ve staged some excellent, smaller-scaled productions of musicals from the well-known to the obscure, and occasionally, like with their latest production, original works. Their latest production, written and co-directed by New Line’s artistic director Scott Miller, is a holiday show with a twist. . . Jesus & Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas isn’t a perfect show, but it’s new and it has a good deal of potential. The cast members seem to be enjoying themselves a great deal, and there are some memorable moments and an excellent sense of theme. If you like crass humor, and especially stoner jokes, this show should be a fun ‘alternative’ holiday production.” – Michelle Kenyon, Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I was sitting on my couch, stoned out of my mind and watching Law and Order. I can watch the entire franchise over and over because I always watch it stoned and so I never remember any of the episodes when I see them again. I was in deeply contented couch-lock, as Jesus passed me the pipe and lighter and said, “Hey, why don’t you write another musical about us? It’s been seventeen years since Johnny Appleweed!”

I took a drag and passed it to Johnny who was now neck deep in the Wild West of profound stoner thought. “Have you guys ever seen Fantastic Voyage, where they put the heroes in a submarine and shrink them down really small and inject them into this guy’s body to fix some shit in his brain? We should totally do a stoner musical version of that!”

Johnny’s sentences are often really long.

We were all pretty sure we’d seen Fantastic Voyage but none of us could remember. The pipe returned to Jesus for a re-load and he said, “Well, don’t forget at the end of Johnny Appleweed, I ran for President. There’s your sequel!”

As I accepted the holy bud, it hit me. “Wait. Even better! I should write a stoner Christmas musical!”

“Holy shit!” Jesus smiled. “How did I not think of that?” And we all laughed. For a long time. A really, really long time, until none of us could remember what we were laughing at, so we loaded another bowl and sat in silence for a while.

Johnny said, “How ‘bout A Reefer Madness Christmas Carol?”

Jesus nodded, then, “A Reefer Madness Christmas is better.”

As I sparked up the bud, I said, “No, you guys, we can’t use that title. Those dicks who wrote Reefer Madness the Musical have trademarked the phrase ‘Reefer Madness’.”

Jesus exhaled a great big cloud of smoke and stoner-smiled. “Ah, fuck ‘em!” And we all laughed again.

My stoner gears were turning now. “A Holy Rollin’ Christmas.”

Johnny took the pipe and nodded. “But maybe it should be Johnny Appleweed and Jesus’ Holy Rollin’ Christmas. Since it’s a sequel.”

Jesus agreed. “Yeah, but do we really want to deal with that apostrophe after Jesus, and whether or not there’s another S after that, am I right? So maybe it should be Jesus and Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Christmas. You know, to keep it simple.”

Robert opened his eyes. “Put family in the title. Everything’s funnier with family.”

I tried it out loud, “Jesus and Johnny Appleweed’s Holy Rollin’ Family Christmas. Yeah, that is funnier.” We all agreed and loaded another bowl. After a few minutes, Robert started laughing and then we all did and we didn’t stop for about an hour.

Law and Order is awesome.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (2023)

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Based on the Roman comedies of Plautus

June 1-24, 2023
Marcelle Theater
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Pseudolus – Kent Coffel
Hysterium – Chris Moore
Hero – Ian McCreary
Philia – Sarah Wilkinson
Senex – Robert Doyle
Domina – Ann Hier Brown
Marcus Lycus – Jason Blackburn
Miles Gloriosus – Danny Brown
Erronius – Gary Cox
Proteans – Nathan Hakenewerth, Brittany Kohl Hester, Aarin Kamphoefner

THE NEW LINE BAND
Conductor/Keyboard – Matthew Kauzlarich
Reeds – Kelly Austermann
Trumpet – Ron Foster
Brass – John Gerdes
Trombone – Adam Levin
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Directors – Scott Miller, Chris Kernan
Choreographer – Chris Kernan
Music Director – Joe Simpson
Stage Manager – Chelsie Johnston
Technical Director – Matt Stuckel
Sound Designer – Ryan Day
Costume Designer – Eileen Engel
Scenic Designer – Dr. Rob Lippert
Lighting Designer – Matt Stuckel
Props Master – Erin Goodenough
Scenic Artists – Mallory Golden, Matt Stuckel
Scenic Crew – Richard Brown, Patrick Donnigan, Bill Stuckel
Volunteer Coordinator – Alison Helmer
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

REVIEWS

“Producer and co-director Scott Miller embraces the later, greater Sondheim, in spite of the chronology, to reimagine a new Forum. And as if by magic, or science, a musical lineage from shows like Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods seems to lead us backward into Forum – almost as if Mr. Miller and co-director/choreographer Chris Kernan were predicting all the great plays to come, from an earlier, less highly regarded musical. Mr. Miller once again finds the full clarity and complexity of Sondheim’s music and musings, and that, as they say, turns out to be the ‘star’ of our show in this particular case. . . Their efforts pay off in the immaculate clarity of music and lyrics, in songs we can suddenly recognize as true to the overall legacy.” – Richard Green, Talkin’ Broadway

“Since 1991 Scott Miller’s New Line Theatre has been pumping out brilliant productions of edgy, mostly very modern musicals. Occasionally they’ll revive a grand old classic (e.g., Anything Goes, from the ‘30s). But now they’re going way, way back. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum premiered in 1962. And it reaches back twenty-two centuries! Stephen Sondheim, Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart picked juicy plot devices and characters from the Roman playwright Plautus. Plautus himself stole from what the earlier Greeks called ‘New Comedy’. To us it looks a lot like the old Borscht Belt and Vaudeville comic sketches. This is truly time-tested comedy. And at New Line it’s still dazzlingly funny! . . . The entire cast is strong. . . It’s another bright success for directors Scott Miller and Chris Kernan.” – Steve Callahan, KDHX

“New Line Theatre’s production A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum succeeds due to Scott Miller’s directorial vision and the comedic timing of Miller’s strong cast. There are plenty of laughs in the First Act, but the second act builds to a crescendo of complete hilarity. . . downright madcap. . . keeps the audience laughing nonstop . . . big laughs throughout the show.” – James Lindhorst, BroadwayWorld

Co-director Scott Miller, founder and artistic director of New Line Theatre, does justice to his musical muse, Stephen Sondheim, with this well-paced, often hilarious and downright entertaining presentation of one of Sondheim’s earliest successes. . . New Line’s two-act, two-hour version delivers steady doses of comedy, with liberal sprinklings of delightful tunes. . . ‘Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight’ sing Pseudolus and company at the show’s opening, and comedy they deliver with hearty flair.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“It does have its dated elements, but at New Line, as usual, there are some new perspectives that emerge. For the most part, this is a show that revels in its humor, and at New Line, the focus is on the strong singing of Stephen Sondheim’s memorable score. . . New Line has become adept at scaling shows down for its venue, as well as bringing out nuances in stories that bigger productions can gloss over. . . New Line’s production is a lot of fun, with its small scale again working in its favor. It’s an enjoyable production especially for fans of Stephen Sondheim, goofy comedy, and great singing.” – Michelle Kenyon, Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts

“Even with his reduced forces, Miller has made the climactic chase scene as funny and convincing as I have ever seen it. I don’t know a musical comedy that has more wild and crazy joy in it than this one. . . Thanks to the work of all New Line’s artists of the theatre, I once again had a lovely time at A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” – Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle

“In New Line’s new iteration, solid performances, a cartoonishly fitting stage design and exaggerated direction by Scott Miller embrace the sometimes cheesy, sometimes cheeky script and score, ensuring the show is entertaining in a nostalgic way. . . Thankfully, the jovial tone, over-the-top characterizations, dad jokes and much of the vaudevillian humor still work, ensuring New Line Theatre’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a recognizable nod to the original show.” – Tina Famer, The Riverfront Times

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

The Second Century BC Roman playwright Plautus wrote dozens of farces, skewering politics and politicians, the cultural elite, and other public figures. His satire was razor sharp, so when Burt Shevelove thought of combining some of Plautus’ plays and adapting them for the musical stage, that new adaptation would inevitably be just as ruthlessly funny, particularly coming as it did, right at the pivot point between the cultural conformity of the 1950s and the explosions and explorations of the 1960s.

In his book Roman Laughter: The Comedy of Plautus, Erich Segal writes, “Of all the Greek and Roman playwrights, Titus Maccius Plautus is the least admired and the most imitated.” Plautus wrote more plays than Euripides, almost twice as many as Aristophanes, and three times as many as Terrence. Greek literature professor Moses Hadas wrote about Plautus’ characters, “They are like characters in Rabelais, not Cervantes; like the Marx Brothers, not Charlie Chaplin.”

As Plautus mocked the people and culture of his time, Shevelove and his eventual collaborators would likewise mock the culture of the early 1960s. Once adapted and musicalized, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum would be a stinging satire of the way American culture views women. Right there at the beginning of the Sexual Revolution, the show revealed American’s complex relationship with sexuality, both seeking sex and fearing it at the same time. Notably, one of Plautus’ favorite plot elements was the damnosa libido, the dangerous sex drive.

Co-bookwriter Larry Gelbart later said, “What treasure we found in his plays! There they were, running wild, appearing for the first time anywhere: the wily slave, the senile skirt-chaser, the henpecked husband, the domineering matron, the courtesan with the hair and heart of gold; page after page of mistaken identity and double meanings.”

Some of the critics really understood the Forum experiment underway. The music critic for The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini, wrote about Stephen Sondheim’s score, “For all the talk of Forum harking back to the days of good, clean farce; theatrically, it is an experimental work. It completely subverts the heritage of what is called the book show, handed down by Rodgers and Hammerstein, where the songs emerge from the plot. In Forum, the songs purposely interrupt the farcical plot, giving the audience a needed break from the madcap hysterics.”

Gelbart said, “Our goal was to construct a show based on Plautus, who, borrowing from the Greeks, taught amphitheater audiences up and down the original Caesar’s circuit to laugh for the first time at character and situation instead of those old staples they found so amusing – bloodshed and tragedy.”

Nine (2023)

Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Book by Arhtur Kopit
Based on the film 8½ written & directed by Federico Fellini
Adapted from the Italian by Mario Fratti

March 2-25, 2023
Marcelle Theater
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Guido Contini – Cole Gutmann
Luisa Contini – Lisa Karpowicz
Carla Albanese – Sarah Wilkinson
Claudia Nardi – Ann Hier Brown
Liliane LaFleur – Kimmie Kidd-Booker
Diana – Kat Bailey
Mama Maddelena / Annabella – Kathleen Dwyer
Juliette / Voice of Little Guido – Brittany Kohl Hester
Renata – Chelsie Johnston
Our Lady of the Spa – Kay Love
Saraghina – Sarah Lueken
Guido’s Mother – Stephanie Merritt
Lina Darling / Olga – Julia Monsey
Stephanie Necrophorus – Gillian Pieper

THE NEW LINE BAND
Conductor/Keyboard – Jenna Lee Moore
Cello – Tyler Davis
Brass – John Gerdes
Reeds – Lea Gerdes
Violin – Mallory Golden
Reeds – Joseph Hendricks
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Directors – Scott Miller, Chris Kernan
Music Director – Dr. Jenna Lee Moore
Choreographer – Chris Kernan
Stage Manager – Cat Draney
Dance Captain – Stephanie Merritt
Technical Director – Matt Stuckel
Sound Designer – Ryan Day
Scenic Designer – Rob Lippert
Costume Designer – Sarah Porter
Lighting Designer – Matt Stuckel
Props Master – Erin Goodenough
Scenic Crew – Richard Brown, Nick Brunstein, Patrick Donnigan, Bill Stuckel
Volunteer Coordinator – Alison Helmer
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

REVIEWS

“A powerful journey of self-exploration and introspection through the mind of an artist. . . The entire cast is truly fantastic. . . Nine is a fascinating look inside the mind of an artist, and both the inspiration and demons they face throughout their career. Filled with wonderful melodies and terrific performances, it’s an entertaining introspective that will keep audiences engaged from start to finish. You don’t have to see the original film to enjoy it, but chances are that you will want to by the end of the show.” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“A spare but beautifully done stage musical revival in St. Louis, directed by New Line Theatre’s brainiac founder Scott Miller and energetic co-director and choreographer Chris Kernan. As you’d expect from New Line, it’s all lavishly sung, with a Cinemascopic eye for the period style, at the Marcelle Theatre. Sly and seductive, with all the psychological complexity you could ask for, this Nine is a lot more fun than I’d ever figured on. . . it’s flirty and confident and fun. In the beginning of Nine, Guido is the maestro, conducting the women. But by the end of this smart, spirited musical, it’s pretty clear these women have turned the tables on him.” – Richard Green, Talkin’ Broadway

“Thankfully, New Line Theatre has now given me and others the chance to see this unusual, fascinating show, which is ideal for this theatre company, known for its bold choices and excellent production quality, and especially great singing. . . There is also some of the best, most intricate ensemble singing I have heard at New Line, and with this company, that’s saying something. . . it’s staged and sung so well as to make audiences want to pay attention, and to ponder the issues being dealt with here. There’s drama, occasionally raunchy humor, intensity, and reflection. As is frequent for New Line, it’s a production that is simultaneously simple and complex, bringing out the truth of the material through authentic, credible performances and thoughtful staging. It’s a fantastic production.” – Michelle Kenyon, Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts

“Nine is a neglected show even though it received the Tony Award for best musical in 1982 and another Tony in 2003 for best revival of a musical. It should be no surprise that the local company addressing the neglect is New Line Theatre. The show’s rarity is reason enough to see New Line’s production. An even better reason is the excellence of the score and the staging.” – Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle

“New Line Theatre has made the story its own. . . a vocally gorgeous evening of songs that explore the vagaries of love, attraction and imagination.” – Tina Farmer, The Riverfront Times

“The singing is stellar, the story is satisfying and the New Line Theatre production of Maury Yeston’s and Arthur Kopit’s musical Nine is charming and intriguing throughout. . . Yeston generously spreads the musical numbers to many members of the show’s cast. In the case of New Line’s production, that’s a positive, since directors Scott Miller and Chris Kernan have assembled a cast of performers who really know how to turn a tune.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“New Line’s production is passionate, compelling and enjoyable. Directors Scott Miller and Chris Kernan have assembled a female company of thirteen powerful female voices that meld magnificently and make this score come alive. . . New Line Theatre has again put together an overall performance that is entertaining and enjoyable. This production of Nine succeeds because of the quality performances of every member of the cast and their ability to deliver strong vocals.” – James Lindhorst, BroadwayWorld

“The crème de la crème of local female vocal talent displays why they have earned those reputations in a lusty version of Nine, an exotic Felliniesque musical being presented by New Line Theatre. . . New Line’s glamorous production has a cast of 13 females who are connected to celebrated director Guido Contini, a womanizer going through a midlife personal and professional crisis.” – Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8½ is one of a handful of quirky, semi-fictional artistic autobiographies, by and about a genius. The others in that category are Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sunday in the Park with George; Stew’s musical Passing Strange; Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz; Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories; and in an ironic, smartass kinda way, also John Water’s Cecil B. Demented.

And in a manner that can only be called Felliniesque, the original film 8½ and its adaptations now form a wonderful kind of strange loop. The film was adapted for the musical stage in the early 1980s, retitled Nine, won tons of awards, and became an instant classic of musical theatre, originally directed, choreographed, and shaped by the great Tommy Tune. Then Rob Marshall adapted the musical for the screen. But Marshall made a film adaptation of both the original Fellini film and its stage adaptation. Marshall transformed the stage musical into a new Fellini film, as if Fellini himself were making a film version of the stage musical Nine.

I've been wanting to work on Nine since I first heard the thrilling cast recording in 1982. And I've always thought that it would be both a perfect New Line show and an incredible showcase for our incredibly talented and versatile local women actors. It turns out I’m right.

I remember the first time I saw 8½, it was like I had never really seen all that movies were capable of before that moment, and for the first time I saw how much more film could do than what we routinely get from Hollywood. I felt like Dorothy Gale emerging from the sepia and into Technicolor. I've watched the Fellini film several times over the years, and each time I find more richness in it – and more sly comedy. I love it so much that it moved me to start exploring other Fellini films, each one of them wondrous and mind-blowing, in all the best ways.

Fellini gave his film its title as a meta joke: his lead character (and avatar) is so blocked artistically that his story doesn’t even get a real title (its first working title was La Bella Confusione); it just gets a number. Fellini had already directed six full-length films and one short, and he had co-directed two films, so 8½ was number eight-and-a-half.

Both the film and stage musical tell the story of genius filmmaker Guido Contini (i.e., Fellini) going through a very painful midlife crisis, an artistic crisis, and a complete emotional collapse – and all presented as a wildly entertaining, surrealistic comic romp, all happening inside the mind of this troubled, brilliant, creative man. The challenge for Guido is to recognize his toxic behavior and his terrible treatment of the women in his life, all of which has been tolerated by those around him, and finally, at age forty, to Grow Up. It’s a journey we all have to take.

Guido’s is just more fun.