Bukowsical (2013)

book and lyrics by Spencer Green and Gary Stockdale
music by Gary Stockdale
May 30-June 22, 2013
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Charles Bukowski – Zachary Allen Farmer
Narrator, Father, Tennessee Williams – Joel Hackbarth
Bishop Fulton Sheen, Mickey Rourke – Ryan Foizey
William Faulkner, Barbet Schroeder – Nicholas Kelly
One True Love – Kimi Short
William Burroughs, Sean Penn – Christopher Strawhun
Sweet Lady Booze – Marcy Wiegert
Teacher, Sylvia Plath – Chrissy Young

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Music Director – Justin Smolik
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Scenic Designer – Scott L. Schoonover
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Sound Designer – Kerrie Mondy
Stage Manager – Gabe Taylor
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Lighting Technician – Christopher “Zany” Clark
Box Office Manager – Kim Avants
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

REVIEWS
"Let's hear it for the risk takers, for those who embrace originality, for entertainers who want to give audiences something different. Want to raise your eyebrows, laugh out loud and marvel at the chutzpah of creative minds? Fit the bold, brazen – and bewitching – Bukowsical into your schedule at New Line Theater during the next two weekends. . . it's unlike anything you have ever seen." – Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat

“I can't remember a show that ever creeped me out as much as it made me laugh. In fact, at the risk of sounding like a critic, I'll say that if you liked Book of Mormon, you'll love Bukowsical. In its own deeply personal style, it's just that great. It's that sensibility that says 'life is gross and people are mad, and any intelligent decision you may possibly dare to make will always be destroyed by corrupt authority figures so you might as well just jump on board the Hell-bound train and get it over with.' Plus, it's really funny and outrageous.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

“For twenty-two years Scott Miller and his New Line company have been zapping the St. Louis musical theatre scene with bolts of energy. Off-beat, eccentric, sometimes dark, often hilarious, occasionally outrageous and always fresh, New Line productions are for folks who have accepted the fact that Rogers and Hammerstein are actually dead. . . Folks will either see it as one of the most outrageously funny things ever staged, or it will offend every sense. (Or possibly both.)” – Steve Callahan, KDHX

“Scott Miller and his New Line Theatre never back down. Has a musical been a quick flop on or off Broadway? He’ll make it a hit and suddenly regional theatres are salivating to produce it. Is a musical considered too 'out of the mainstream?' No problem, let’s give our audiences a choice and see what happens. Is this one too rude, crude and obnoxious? Let’s do it! And now, combining all three of the above theatrical no-no’s, New Line presents Bukowsical, the musical.” – Steve Allen, Stage Door St. Louis

“New Line Theatre's production captures this drunken genius in all his splendor. You may be shocked by what you see or hear, but I guarantee you won't forget it. This is cutting edge theatre at its finest. . . Bukowsical is a rude crude, raucous, offensive and delicious musical that treads the line between biography and satire. New Line Theatre's production is an absolute blast. Go see it immediately!” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“Bukowsical is not for everyone. But if you are a fan of shows like The Book of Mormon, or Avenue Q, there shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle. New Line Theatre does what it does best, putting on a raw and uncensored show that never pulls any of its punches. With a fantastic cast, non-stop laughs, and many memorable songs – 'you can be Bukowsical too.' And you should.” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“Bukowsical riffs on the life and work of Bukowski in the form of a wild musical bursting with simulated sex, four-letter words, and clever lyrics. It's the perfect piece of theater for a sophisticated urban crowd looking for pure ribaldry on a Saturday night. . . This is the sort of goofy, lead-with-your-pelvis, sharp late-night comedy that’s perfect for a city with a thriving, risk-taking alt-theatre scene, like Chicago or New York. We’d like more of this brand, please.” – Byron Kerman, St. Louis Magazine

“Musical theater has changed a lot since Bukowski came on the scene. Now 'Love Is a Dog from Hell' is actually the title of a song – and its author is the subject of the smoky, clever, amazingly foul-mouthed show at New Line Theatre. Its often-cheery homage to traditional styles darkens this show's material. From the ironic title to the hot little combo headed by Justin Smolik to choreographer Robin Michelle Berger's stylish ensemble work, this production was plainly the work of people who know musical theater.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“This musical not only sheds considerable light on what went into making Charles Bukowski the artist he was, it also satirizes the conventions of musical theatre. It defies tradition by packaging foul lyrics about slimy behavior in these irresistibly tuneful, upbeat little songs. Under Miller's clear-sighted direction, the entire cast passionately embrace all kick-lines, key changes, and every instance of 'jazz hands.' Seeing these supposedly contradictory elements combined with such enthusiasm is what makes it so funny. The profanity may offend your sensibilities, but with everything else this show has to offer, I bet you'll get over it after about 4 minutes.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“It’s definitely not family material and absolutely full of mirth and mayhem in equal doses. New Line artistic director Scott Miller and his notably energetic and fun-loving troupe make Bukowsical an evening you won’t soon forget and may actually enjoy quite a bit. . . Miller’s pace is brisk and witty, the action is amusing, the banter is brittle and the music direction by Justin Smolik is perfectly in sync with the performers. . . New Line’s presentation of Bukowsical captures the musical’s surprisingly engaging blend of sass and sweetness.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“New Line Theatre Director Scott Miller never shies away from challenging material, whether it be darkly tragic like Next To Normal or hilariously over-the-top like Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Bukowsical definitely falls into the latter category. . . Even the shocked first-time attendees were tapping their toes, laughing and clapping with each tragically absurd scene.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
There are a lot of very funny musicals, even more of them lately, now that we've moved away from the bombast of the 1980s British Invasion (of the musical theatre), and back toward the original form of the American musical – the musical comedy. These “neo musical comedies” (Bukowsical, Cry-Baby, Spelling Bee, Shrek, Avenue Q, Lysistrata Jones) are more self-aware, more political, more ironic, and often more vulgar than their ancestors, but they still capture the joy, the chaos, and the muscle of those classic musical comedies. It's a perfect blend – a uniquely American blend – of innocence and irony, idealism and cynicism.

Maybe the funniest aspect of Bukowsical is its perversely good-natured, sunny tone. This is not Bat Boy or Urinetown. This is Anything Goes and No, No, Nanette, but with the irony turned up to eleven and a chronic case of Tourette’s Syndrome.

The musical comedy has always had this kinetic tension driving it, but it used to lean more toward the innocence and idealism, and today it leans more toward the irony and cynicism, to match the zeitgeist. The mega-musicals of the 80s began to wither away in the ironic 1990s and 2000s, under the weight of way too much earnestness. Miranda Lundskaer-Nielsen wrote in her book, Directors and the New Musical Drama, “Rather than finding order through chaos, or offering the sense of resolution that even the more political Broadway musicals often give their audiences, some newer shows imply that emotional confusion is a reasonable response to the contemporary world. Just as social playwrights have been doing for years, today's musical writers choose to raise more questions than they answer, and to reflect the world around them rather than trying to interpret it through a simplistic lens.”

In many ways, Bukowsical and the others are a 21st-century reboot of the American musical comedy. There is a self-awareness and a fierce defiance about these shows. They subscribe to no hard-and-fast rules. Broadway composer-lyricist William Finn (Spelling Bee, A New Brain, Falsettos) says, “Musicalizing something inherently nonmusical seems a very dramatic action – arrogant, humorous, whimsical, yet serious. It says, ‘We are in the business of making the world sing.’ It's almost revolutionary.”

Of course the neo musical comedy isn’t entirely new. Kander and Ebb have been working on the form since Chicago in the 1970s, but it didn’t become a dominant form until more recently. In an interview in James Leve’s book Kander and Ebb, David Thompson says, “The embodiment of Kander and Ebb’s approach to musical theatre was, we are going to entertain you, and you are going to have fun, but at the same time we're going to lead you to a place that is very dangerous and very controversial, and what you take out of this, where you get, you're going to have to sort out yourself, but in the meantime, we're going to entertain you as you go.”

We won’t make you comfortable tonight, but we will entertain you.

Next to Normal (2013)

Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Music by Tom Kitt
February 28-March 23, 2013
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Diana – Kimi Short
Dan – Jeffrey M. Wright
Natalie – Mary Beth Black
Gabe – Ryan Foizey
Henry – Joseph McAnulty
Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden – Zachary Allen Farmer

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Assistant Director – Mike Dowdy
Music Director – Justin Smolik
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Scenic Designer – Scott L. Schoonover
Lighting Designer – Sean Savoie
Sound Designer – Kevin Miko
Stage Manager – Gabe Taylor
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Cello – Ethan Edwards
Violin – Nikki Glenn
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

REVIEWS
“I remember seeing Next to Normal at the Fox Theatre a while back and being impressed by the show. . . But New Line Theatre, for me, sets the local standard for musical theatre in our burgeoning arts community, and they’ve put together a superior staging of the play that hits even closer to the bone, and part of this is due to intimacy of the theatre itself, but a major reason is the fact that it’s blocked and staged in a manner that brings the message of the play clearly in focus. New Line Theatre’s production of Next to Normal is easily the best show I’ve seen this year so far. It has a terrific cast, a top notch band which is augmented with strings, and brilliant direction. This is a show you must see...” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“Surprising and exceptional performances from the entire cast, in a story that will not settle for less. . . it’s a major leap forward in depth of characterization offered by New Line Theatre. Watch out, everybody, the ‘bad boy of musical theater’ is growing up!” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

“New Line Theatre presents the show in its St. Louis regional premiere with scorching intensity, dotted with dark humor. . . The opportunity to see this emotionally packed, captivating production in such an intimate space should not be missed.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“The show made its St. Louis debut at the Fox Theatre. That production was fine. But Next To Normal tells such an intimate story that it’s actually a better fit for New Line, a small theater company in a small space. The play deals with serious mental illness, and New Line director Scott Miller marked out the psychological musical as his home terrain years ago, with his memorable take on Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods.” – Judy Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“New Line Theatre’s Next to Normal is nothing less than extraordinary . . . For those who enjoy live theater, but have never seen the show, I can’t speak highly enough about it. The story is well written, the songs are fantastic, and the show is very honest and easy to relate to. New Line’s production looks and sounds fantastic, and continues to impress upon me the power of local theater.” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“Directors Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy were inspired in their casting of the show. . . amazing acting and singing by all members of the cast. . . an affecting and thought-provoking night of theatre.” – Laura Kyro, KDHX

“Next to Normal is a cerebral, up-close-and-personal account of mental illness, with a cast of six and a small accompanying orchestra that in New Line’s presentation consists of a half-dozen musicians. Seeing it at the Washington University South Campus Theatre accentuates the personal nature of the work in a way the sprawling touring production could not do. . . New Line’s artistic director Miller has a keen eye for what makes a particular musical work best, often finding hidden gems and mining their potential to sparkle. Even with this Pulitzer Prize-winning show he’s been able to accentuate the delicate emotions that are laid bare in Next to Normal.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“New Line Theatre has brought an intimate and more accessible production to their stage and everything about it is outstanding. Kimi Short is simply sensational in the difficult role of Diana. . . The packed house on opening night leapt to their feet after the final strains of ‘Light’ to show their appreciation for a talented cast and crew and a most brave production.” – Steve Allen, StageDoorSTL

“New Line Theatre has crafted an edgy, thought-provoking production that does not sugarcoat the pain of a bi-polar disorder sufferer and her family. . . I hope the St. Louis theater audience gives Next to Normal a try. It isn't a simple way to pass a few hours, but like any challenging experience it is more rewarding for the difficulty.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

“This production encapsulates everything perfect about live musical theater. Pulled into the dysfunction of the family so perfectly, you feel as if there needs to be an empty seat at the dinner table for you. A set that is fairly minimalist and yet is disconcerting and haunting by itself, before a single actor has walked on stage sets the audience off kilter and prepares them to enter the world of the story dysfunction. The characters are priestly in the way they become arbiters between the physical and metaphysical crag the story treacherously sets as its path. The experience perfectly completes the circuit between stage and audience. . . There is no better description for this show than to refer to it as sacramental.” – Kevin J. Bowman, Dispossessed

“The production of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical about mental illness, Next to Normal, has been given a strong staging by New Line Theatre, where this intimate drama works much better than it did last year at the Fox.” – Bob Wilcox, Town and Style

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
When we produced High Fidelity last season, we realized that the show places us squarely inside Rob’s head. He narrates his own story and we hear everyone in his life in the musical vocabulary of Rob’s favorite recording artists. We get the story only from Rob’s point of view, which is very organic to the novel the show was based on.

Content Dictates Form.

With Next to Normal, we’re not really inside Diana’s head, since we see parts of the story that Diana is not present for. But we are inside her world, a world where things don’t make sense as often as they do. When Diana suddenly hallucinates her new doctor singing like a rock star, we share that hallucination. When Diana slips into delusion, we experience that delusion with her.

One of the show’s central points is that mental illness affects not just the person suffering from the illness, but also everyone around them – in this case, including the audience. The story’s other big point, an existential view that it shares with Passing Strange, is that everyone has his own journey and his own destination – or as Passing Strange puts it, his own Real. You can’t follow someone else’s path, because their Real is different from your Real.

Diana has to find her path, but throughout much of the show, everyone else is telling her what that path should be. Like Company, the end of Next to Normal is ambiguous. Diana takes action, but we have no idea what the results of that action will be. Will she be better? Worse? Those answers aren’t the point of this story. The point is that Diana finds her path. Just like Bobby in Company.

Like many of our shows, Next to Normal is a Hero Myth. Actually, it’s a double Hero Myth, because Natalie travels through her own Hero Myth as well. Each of the women are forced into their journey, encounter obstacles, pick up companions along the way, do battle with an “Evil Wizard,” and they each find new wisdom to point them forward.

Most musicals used to be love stories because musical theatre is an inherently emotional storytelling form. But as musicals became more personal and as our culture changed, musical theatre began shifting to the Hero Myth, every bit as emotional a journey as any love story.

As I’ve argued many times, people don’t go to the theatre (or movies) for escape, despite what the shallow types will tell you; they go for connection. To make sense of the world around them and their own lives, to be reminded that we all go through essentially the same trials, that we are not alone.

Sondheim says the point of art is to make order out of the chaos of our world. Art selects from life, focuses, juxtaposes, reveals, magnifies, all in the service of telling a meaningful story that helps us navigate the rough terrain of being human in the 21st century. You don’t have to be bipolar to see your own daily struggles in Diana’s more extreme struggles. And that’s why storytelling is important to the culture. And why we make theatre. And why lots of people find Next to Normal so genuinely powerful and incisive. Enjoy the ride.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2012)

Book

by Alex Timbers
Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman
Sept. 27-Oct. 20, 2012
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Andrew Jackson – John Sparger
Band Soloist – D. Mike Bauer
Lyncoya, et al. – Stephanie Brown
Martin Van Buren, et al. – Brian Claussen
James Monroe, et al. – Mike Dowdy
John Quincy Adams, et al. – Zachary Allen Farmer
The Storyteller – Amy Kelly
Henry Clay, Chief Black Fox, et al. – Nicholas Kelly
“Rock Star” soloist, et al. – Todd Micali
Rachel Jackson, et al. – Taylor Pietz
Cheerleader, et al. – Sarah Porter
John Calhoun, et al. – BC Stands
Cheerleader, et al. – Chrissy Young

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Fight Choreographer – Nicholas Kelly
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Scenic Designer – Scott L. Schoonover
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Sound Designer – Donald Smith
Stage Manager – Alex Moore
Props Master – Alison Helmer
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

REVIEWS

“It's kind of hard to describe the new musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, but only because it's such a phantasmagorical journey through the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson. Parts of it are downright hilarious, while others are amazingly informative. Kind of like what Bill Cosby used to say during the opening credits of the Fat Albert show: ‘If you're not careful, you might learn something before it's done.’ New Line's current presentation of this wild and woolly excursion into history is a rockin' riot, filled with catchy tunes and funny, anachronistic humor that rarely misses the mark. . . It's a colorful and engaging tale guaranteed to delight even the most jaded theatre-goer. . . New Line Theatre's production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson earns my highest recommendation. This is must-see modern musical theatre at its finest (and weirdest).” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“From its sensational opening number, ‘Populism, Yea, Yea!,’ this show presents its take on history without the reverence of old bio-pics (Abe Lincoln in Illinois) or the thoughtful British gloss of new ones (The King's Speech). According to Alex Timbers, who wrote the Bloody Bloody book, and Michael Friedman, who wrote the music and lyrics, our politics demand discussion in a truly American vernacular: rock 'n' roll. . . Looking at the past through a modern prism, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson reminds us that America is still a very young country. Of course we recognize Jackson and his contemporaries. As the great Southern novelist William Faulkner famously observed, the past isn't dead. It isn't even past.” – Judith Newmark St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“When the 7th President of our United States, Andrew Jackson, swaggers out onstage, in eyeliner, black nails and with a microphone in his holster, telling the audience that they are sexy, you can bet that this is not gonna be your grandma's American History lesson. Not that we would really expect that – not from New Line Theatre. . . Scott Miller directs the insanity with abandon – adroitly melding the anachronistic profanely funny 2000s style comedy with a touching reality, especially where it counts: in scenes between Andrew and Rachel, and scenes between Andrew and Black Fox. Justin Smolik leads the tight band with D. Mark Bauer adding vocals. . . So if you like your history with a little hysteria, you should definitely consider checking out this rollicking rock musical at New Line Theater.” – Bob Mitchell, KDHX

“This is a New Line show if there ever was one. It’s smart, sassy, political, and has a compelling score. . . The excellence of the material and the staging make this a vintage New Line production. [John] Sparger is a commanding figure as Jackson, and he’s surrounded by a terrific ensemble in which almost everyone plays multiple roles. We are treated to irreverent portrayals of some of the country’s most revered politicians, including three presidents, a vice president, and a speaker of the house. Most of the performers are New Line regulars who remind us of how deep a pool of talent New Line has to draw from these days. . . This production is an ideal match of artists and material, and it gives us plenty to think about as the November election approaches.” – Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle

“New Line Theatre, is presenting the regional premiere of this raucous, rowdy and rapacious one-act extravaganza, which is often rude, crude and lewd, so be wary of taking children for a ‘history lesson.’ The arch, Goth style of this production, though, is brimming with energy. . . The show has so much vitality and dynamism. . . Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is frantic, antic and full of surprises as it speculates on how the west was really won and how America creates its heroes.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“Bodacious and unconventional, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a turbo-charged history lesson in the guise of an emo-rock musical. Naturally, New Line Theatre would open its 22nd year as the region's first company to produce this irreverent work, especially fitting during an election year. The parallels between politics then and now are striking and a tad eerie. Liberty, what a concept! Director Scott Miller has long led the charge for alternative adult musicals, and he stretches the medium's boundaries while celebrating them, certainly admirable. Because he is fearless when pushing the envelope, Miller presents this snarky take on our seventh president with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.” – Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News Democrat

“It's all handled in a very buoyant, funny, ironic, idiotic way, by the extremely knowledgeable producer/director Scott Miller. And most of his genuinely unbeatable 'all-stars' are along for the ride: the singers and actors who delightfully recur from show to show. John Sparger, in the title role, has never looked or sounded better, or been funnier. And then there's just this Costco-sized bundle of talented people backing him up.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

“In Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers’ hard-rocking musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, our seventh president is a smoldering rock star who makes love to the country with the same intensity with which he wages war against his enemies. His macho populism and belief in the common man come through in heartfelt songs that cast a modern light on the age-old problem of politics: How do you get your way without losing your soul?” – Paul Friswold, The Riverfront Times

“I can hardly think of a better way to catch a break from the onslaught of this year's presidential campaign than to check out this saucy, contemporary, in-your-face look at our seventh president. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opens New Line Theatre's 22nd season, and this show is right up its alley. . . Under Scott Miller's high-speed direction and Justin Smolik’s tight direction of the New Line Band, this boisterous cast of New Liners deliver the musical numbers with their usual zest, and just enough cheek, complete with anachronisms like cell phones and cheerleaders. . . This is a history lesson that will prove much more interesting and entertaining than anything you've heard in school.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“The satirical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, directed by artistic director Scott Miller, lives up to its name with a stage awash with the blood of so-called 'Indians,' Spaniards and Jackson himself. The history books want to know: Was our seventh president a great leader who doubled our country’s land mass or a mass murderer, an 'American Hitler'? Sound like a comedy? Not really. But Bloody Bloody, written by Alex Timbers, is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Its humor is assisted by Michael Friedman’s emo (emotional hardcore) rock score and in-your-face lyrics.” – Nancy Fowler, St. Louis Beacon

“It's quite an accomplishment for the St. Louis theater scene, and I readily recommend Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to my readers, especially those who are willing to try a production that may be outside of their usual comfort zone. To me, pushing the envelope and doing the unexpected is the most exciting aspect of acting, and you won't find too many musicals that push the envelope harder than this.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

“It’s the most fun you’re ever likely to spend with a politician. Director Scott Miller has brought his magic touch into play milking the irony and laughs out of every line, pratfall and stage picture. . . If you’re in the mood for a bizarre look at this iconic period in American history, you’re in for a treat with Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. It should be required viewing for every college American History course.” – Steve Allen, Stagedoor STL

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is the story of one of our country’s most interesting Presidents growing up, just as America itself was growing up, as our nation was becoming a more serious, more literal democracy. This is a show about complexity, about gray area, about the Jekyll & Hyde in all of us; and also about American politics, about the lenses through which we see history, our biases and political agendas.

Andrew Jackson is the Rorschach Test of Americans Presidents, so complicated that almost everyone can find something in him that resonates. He was equal parts Barack Obama (charismatic populist and intrinsically American success story), John McCain (crusty war hero), Sarah Palin (loud, clumsy outsider), and George W. Bush (cocky, loyal, and charming).

His first biographer James Parton wrote, “Andrew Jackson, I am given to understand, was a patriot and a traitor. He was one of the greatest of generals, and wholly ignorant of the art of war. A writer brilliant, elegant, eloquent, without being able to compose a correct sentence, or spell words of four syllables. The first of statesmen, he never devised, he never framed a measure. He was the most candid of men, and was capable of the profoundest dissimulation. A most law-defying, law-obeying citizen. A stickler for discipline, he never hesitated to disobey his superior. A democratic autocrat. An urbane savage. An atrocious saint.”

A PBS documentary about Jackson contained the following list of chapters: The Wild Young Man, The War Hero, The Slave Master, The Candidate, The First Imperial President, The Defender of the Union (against secession), The Great White Father (the ironic nickname given to him over his “Indian Removal Program”), and The Prophet (of democracy literally “of the people”).

Jackson was all of those. And he lived at an amazing moment in our American Experiment. His election in 1828 was the first Presidential campaign decided by popular vote, the first grassroots Get Out the Vote effort, and the first overtly public campaign for President.

His presidency brought to the forefront for the first time many of the issues we still fight over today, including “states’ rights” and nullification, separation of powers, the expansion of executive power, fiercely divided politics, new mass media and more. Because he was the first President elected by popular vote, the Jacksonian Era was a difficult time for our country, a kind of early adolescence.

Just as our extreme political hostility today in this new century is born of a genuinely divided culture, so too was Jackson’s world. And to dramatize all this tumult and complexity for a modern audience – and perhaps to teach us some lessons for our times – Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman have created a rock musical in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson that captures those people and those times; and the show’s angry, cocky, ironic, rock and roll aesthetic captures even more so that era’s emotional zeitgeist, so freakishly like our own today.

High Fidelity (2012)

Book by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Based on the novel by Nick Hornby
May 31-June 23, 2012
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Rob – Jeffrey M. Wright
Laura – Kimi Short
Dick – Mike Dowdy
Barry – Zachary Allen Farmer
Ian – Aaron Allen
Liz / Jackie – Talichia Noah
Anna / Alison – Terrie Carolan
Marie LaSalle – Margeau Baue Steinau
TMPMITW / Bruce Springsteen – Todd Micali
Klepto-Boy – Nicholas Kelly
Futon Guy / Skid – Keith Thompson
Hipster / Neil Young / Skid – Ryan Foizey
Charlie – Chrissy Young
Penny – Taylor Pietz
Sarah / Marie’s back-up singer – Sarah Porter

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Scenic Designer – Scott L. Schoonover
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Sound Designer – Donald Smith
Stage Manager – Trisha Bakula
Dance Captain – Taylor Pietz
Props Master – Alison Helmer
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Lead Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Rhythm Guitar – Aaron Doerr
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell
Second Keyboard – Jeffrey VanDiver

REVIEWS

“Earlier this season, New Line Theatre staged two regional premiers: the wry, insightful Passing Strange and the raucous, insightful Cry-Baby. High Fidelity – by turns wry and raucous, and maybe the most insightful of all – makes an inspired conclusion. . . When New Line artistic director Scott Miller first staged High Fidelity on the heels of its Broadway failure, he rescued it from obscurity; it’s gone on to a number of successful productions at colleges and small theaters around the country. This production, also directed by Miller, is a kind of victory lap: a showcase for the musical’s clever songs, endearing characters and above all for the New Line gang. A talented bunch both onstage and behind the scenes, with High Fidelity they once again welcome theater-goers into their smart inner circle.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“The Number One reason to see this revival production of High Fidelity: IT ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“After four years, and rave reviews from critics, High Fidelity has returned to St. Louis. . . What stands out most about this production of High Fidelity is the passion that went into it. You can tell that these actors are singing and dancing their hearts out; you can feel the raw energy and emotion that they radiate with their performances. I listened to the original cast recording of the show, and I can honestly say that some of the recorded numbers couldn’t hold a candle to the New Line versions. . . High Fidelity is a fantastic show, filled with pure rock energy and a myriad of memorable songs. It would truly have been a tragedy if it wasn’t revived after being left for dead on Broadway. Instead of just taking the movie and slapping some songs into it, the cast and creatives really make it their own. With great performances and powerful rock music that is fondly familiar, it is a must see show that you don’t want to miss.” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“As always, Scott Miller’s direction is right on the money. He has found the secret of making this Broadway disappointment into a vehicle for fun and frenzy that you just wish wouldn’t end. . . If you’re ready for flat-out fun, don’t miss this terrific show. It bubbles with personality and just makes you feel good all over. Outstanding performances lead the way and the almost lost score with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Amanda Green along with the book by David Lindsay Abaire show that there’s life in any musical as long as it has heart, desire and a little help from Scott Miller.” – Steve Allen, Stage Door St. Louis

“New Line Theatre artistic director Scott Miller saw the beauty and buoyancy behind the weak Broadway effort that introduced High Fidelity as a rock musical in a disappointing effort that folded after just 14 performances on Broadway in late 2006. Miller’s New Line Theatre mounted the first regional presentation in 2008, a glorious triumph that Ladue News cited as the best production of the year. . . Now, New Line has brought High Fidelity back to its greatest success in a presentation that, if anything, is stronger and more engaging than its 2008 predecessor. . . If you love rock music and feel-good stories, High Fidelity should top your charts.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“In true New Line fashion, director Scott Miller pared the show down to what was necessary: the tale of a commitment-shy Gen-Xer struggling, buoyed by his love of music, to grow up and become a human – and by focusing on that, he made the show a hit of the 2008 season. Not resting on his laurels, though, in this production Miller opens up the space a little, allowing musical numbers to joyously jump out at you. . . The newly revived show has lost none of its original verve – in fact you could say this show is ‘re-mastered’ – in its new space, it takes the already clean master material and polishes it further, opening up the stage to let the ‘confessional booth’ tone of this charged rock musical spill out into the laps of the audience and make us question our own behaviors in our relationships, and explore how to forgive and be forgiven. . . So if rockin’ music with a good story is your idea of great entertainment, plan on seeing New Line’s High Fidelity.” – Robert Mitchell, KDHX-FM

“Right now, we can enjoy a second helping of Miller’s take on the show. Once again, the results are dazzling. . .The entire production is proof again that High Fidelity is a musical with a future.” – Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle

“I was glad to see it again. I think I enjoyed it more this time and got more out of it.” – Bob Wilcox, Two on the Aisle

“If you've ever found salvation in a used-record bin, poured your soul into a mixtape or sunk into deep neurosis over the state of your romantic affairs, there is plenty here to appreciate.” – Mike Appelstein, The Riverfront Times

“Don’t dismiss them as merely regional theater – when a production such as this nails it, Broadway takes notice. Director Scott Miller and his terrific cast have certainly made a believer out of me.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

“New Line Theatre has revived High Fidelity after giving this musical its first regional premiere in 2008. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity suffered a short life on Broadway, but New Line's artistic director, Scott Miller, has a thing about reviving Broadway flops. Seeing the potential and the heart at the center of this rock musical, he and his trusty crew at New Line gave it a new life then, and it's even better this time around. . . .Under Miller's perceptive direction, just about every aspect of the show seems to have been brought up a notch, and Jeffrey M. Wright's portrayal of our hero Rob Gordon (one of many wonderfully reprised roles from 2008) has matured. . . Check it out for some great songs, great performances, and a very good time.” – St. Louis Theatre Snob

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

In 2008, New Line Theatre resurrected this amazing piece of rock theatre after a misguided New York production, bad New York reviews, and a very short Broadway run. Its creators thought it was dead. And none of the New York licensing agencies would represent the show, so regional theatres wouldn’t produce it.

But we New Liners saw what was special here, the intelligence and emotion and deep human insight, and so New Line produced the show in 2008 for the first time since its Broadway run, bringing to St. Louis audiences the American regional premiere of High Fidelity. The show got rave reviews here and sold out all but one performance. Soon we were getting requests from other theatres for production rights, so we passed them along to the writers. And now, theatre companies across the country are producing this show. (And we did the same thing with Cry-Baby this season!) Now, finally a licensing agent in New York is licensing High Fidelity.

What could we see that they couldn’t see in New York?

What the Broadway team failed to understand is that High Fidelity is not a musical comedy and it’s not a love story. It’s the story of one guy – a man-child, really – learning to grow up. It’s a classic Hero Myth, like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz. But in those two stories, the hero takes a physical journey that represents an interior journey. In High Fidelity, we’re on the inside from the get-go. In fact, we spend the entire show inside Rob’s head. But all the same elements are here – the wise wizard (Liz and/or Bruce Springsteen), the magic amulet (rock and roll), the trusty companions (Barry and Dick), and an evil wizard, which in this case is Rob himself, his own worst enemy.

The point is that Rob has to grow up before he can have a satisfying, adult relationship. It’s a journey all of us have gone on or are in the midst of. In Rob’s journey – and in his music – we find the universal human process of continual self discovery and (if we’re lucky) increasing self-awareness. We can see that transformation in Rob’s music and in his relationship to his music.

This is a story about experiencing music autobiographically, about using music to connect to others, about the way it makes your personal pain somehow transcendent – but also about how we can hide from our lives in music (or any art). So what better form in which to tell this story than a rock musical? And what better way to construct the score than in the musical vocabulary and language of these guys’ lives?

This is an original score that delivers dramatically but is also peppered with musical references to some of the great rock and pop artists of our time, the muscular American sound of Bruce Springsteen, the raw rage of Guns N’ Roses, the intellectual playfulness of Talking Heads, the fierce defiance of Aretha Franklin, the smoky groove of Percy Sledge, the driving cynicism of Billy Joel, the naked emotion of Ben Folds. This is a show that uses music as carefully and artfully as it uses dialogue to tell its story, comically, emotionally, often ironically. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Cry-Baby (2012)

Songs by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger
Book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell
Based on the film by John Waters
New Orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke
March 1-24, 2012
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker – Ryan Foizey
Allison Vernon-Williams – Taylor Pietz
Baldwin Blandish – Mike Dowdy
Mrs. Cordelia Vernon-Williams – Cindy Duggan
Pepper Walker – Marcy Wiegert
Wanda Woodward – Chrissy Young
Mona “Hatchet Face” Malnorowski – Sarah Porter
Dupree W. Dupree – Ari D. Scott
Lenora Frigid – Terrie Carolan
The Whiffles – Evan Fornachon, Devon A. A. Norris, Christopher Strawhun
Judge Igneous Stone and Everybody Else – Zachary Allen Farmer
Square Girls/Drape Girls – Jenifer Sabbert, Alexandra Taylor

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Lighting Designer – Sean M. Savoie
Scenic Designer – Scott L. Schoonover
Sound Designer – Donald Smith
Stage Manager – Trisha Bakula
Dance Captain – Taylor Pietz
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Specialty Props – Pat Edmonds
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Lead Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Rhythm Guitar – Joe Isaacs
Reeds – Robert Vinson
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

REVIEWS

“If you liked New Line’s productions of Return to the Forbidden Planet and Bat Boy, or if you just want to have a great time, then pick up tickets for its latest giddy extravaganza, Cry-Baby. You'll laugh too hard to catch all the hilarious lyrics. . . In fact, the whole ensemble captures the go-for-broke spirit that Miller, band leader Justin Smolik and choreographer Robin Michelle Berger relish. . . Now in its 21st season, New Line also stages serious musicals: Evita, Love Kills, Kiss of the Spider Woman and many more. And it stages them beautifully, albeit with unexpected twists. But Miller's intimate musical comedies have a distinctive charm all their own, part sketch comedy, part witty spoofs of musical-theater tradition. They don't come up that often, but when they do, they last a long time in memory.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“I couldn't stop smiling and laughing through this stage-musical version of John Waters’ film, though I have to admit I never really tried. From the opening chords, which (of course) sound like some 1950s movie about teen rebels, we know we're in for a counter-cultural extravaganza. Long and lanky Ryan Foizey is fantastic as a pacifist Elvis Presley in red-scare America, and director Scott Miller and crew surround him with a cast that bristles with talent and dance that crackles with excitement.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway.com

“Cry-Baby is a smash, a musical and cultural send up of drape and square mores, while at the same time, a parody of the typical ‘boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back’ scenarios that we've all been exposed to in more traditional shows. At times, it’s like watching a throwdown between Little Richard and Pat Boone over who really sings ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ the best and most authentic. . . Scott Miller and New Line Theatre have once again given us something outside the norm, and it's a joyous ride. This revision of Cry-Baby is a sheer delight, full of characters and situations from the movie by filmmaker John Waters, but also standing on its own with a clever and hilarious score (music and lyrics by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger), having jettisoned the tunes from the film itself. Go see this play now. It’s wonderfully directed, smartly choreographed, and marvelously acted. . . This is a rave because this a rockin’ good show! Go see Cry-Baby and enjoy!” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

Four and half stars out of five. “A glorious and infectious American regional premiere by New Line Theatre. Under Miller’s devoted and painstaking direction, this Cry-Baby rocks the room with an effervescent energy, exploding across the stage through an array of dazzling moves choreographed by Robin Michelle Berger. . . Miller has a penchant for mining rare musical gems and, sometimes, resuscitating them from their moribund beginnings. Such is the case with this Cry-Baby, which will leave you shedding only tears of laughter.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

Three and a half stars our of four. “There’s an enthusiasm and energetic playfulness in New Line Theatre’s production of Cry-Baby that evokes some very clever laughs and lots of nostalgic friskiness. It’s a hallmark of the kind of amicably provocative show New Line likes to produce. . . Scott Miller has developed an enjoyable niche for his theater that is unique, important and always fun.” – Harry Hamm, KMOX

“Under Scott Miller's bull's-eye direction, Cry-Baby is bolstered by New Line's consistently energetic cast, including newcomer Ryan Foizey in the title role.  His charismatic Elvis Presley inspired Cry-Baby has just enough seeming volatility to make him seem dangerous, but all the heart to make him genuine.  Doesn't hurt that he has a great voice, too.” – St. Louis Theatre Snob

“Scott Miller almost always settles into a high-octane groove with his productions at New Line Theatre. That's true of his current offering, Cry-Baby, the musical adapted from John Waters’ film of the same name.” – Bob Wilcox, KDHX

“Scott Miller directs stylishly. . . Miller’s direction and the cast’s talent make it a fine diversion, something to see if you need a break from preparing your taxes.” – Joe Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
As we began work on Cry-Baby, we realized how misguided the original Broadway production was. This show is not old-school musical comedy, as the original creative staff seemed to think; and the fact that it isn’t is one of its central devices.

Cry-Baby starts off as a full-throttle 1950s musical comedy – the populist art form of the story’s period – but the opening number is not even allowed to end before the Drapes (the “bad” kids) invade not just the picnic, but the show itself. They assault this 1950s musical comedy world with rock and roll, transforming this musical comedy into a rock musical. And the two forms war with each other for the rest of the show, with Baldwin and his Whiffles living and singing musical comedy, but slowly losing their turf to the rock musical world of the Drapes. And Allison, having to choose between the Squares and the Drapes, has one foot in each musical world during much of the show. It’s not hard to guess that by the end of the show, everybody will be singing rock and roll. Just as it did in the real world, rock and roll must supplant the old-school show tune.

What’s wonderful about this score is that songwriters David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger absolutely nail both styles. The show’s opening number, “The Anti-Polio Picnic,” sounds like it came right out of the score for Kiss Me, Kate or Finian’s Rainbow. But when Javerbaum and Schlesinger interrupt that song to turn to the raw rockabilly of “Watch Your Ass,” it’s just as authentic.

I invented a new label recently that fits Cry-Baby perfectly: “neo-musical comedy.” It’s traditional, 1950s musical comedy, but with a self-aware irony on top that the older shows didn’t have. Other examples include some of my all-time favorite shows: Bat Boy (the masterpiece of this new form), Urinetown, Lysistrata Jones, Spelling Bee, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson; and there are even a few prototypical examples further back in history that pretty much fit the mold, like The Cradle Will Rock, Of Thee I Sing, How to Succeed, and Return to the Forbidden Planet. In shows like this, there are always two layers operating at once. These neo musical comedies use the style and devices of musical comedy and the socio-political content and Brechtian devices of the concept musical developed by Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Bob Fosse, and Kander and Ebb. It makes for a heady mix, more complex than its precursors, more ambiguous, and therefore, more interesting and more adventurous.

Like most well-made theatre, Cry-Baby may be set firmly in 1954 but it’s really about our screwed up world today. The show implies far more than it ever says outright, and it asks from the audience active participation in teasing out the contradictions and implications of what we see. What’s actually on stage is only half the picture. And that’s a big part of the fun here.

Cry-Baby delivers a message parallel to the message of Hair, that we Americans have yet to solve so many big problems that have been with us for so long. Even though that message might seem a bit depressing, with Cry-Baby we’re laughing too hard to notice...

Passing Strange (2011)

Book and lyrics by Stew
Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Setpember 22 - October 15, 2011
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Narrator – Charles Glenn
Youth – Keith Parker
Mother – Talichia Noah
Sherry/Renata/Desi – Jeanitta Perkins
Edwina/Marianna/Sudabey – Andrea Purnell
Franklin/Joop/Mr. Venus – John Reed II
Terry/Christophe/Hugo – Cecil Washington Jr.

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Costume Designer – Amy Kelly
Scenic Designer – Todd Schaefer
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Stage Manager – Trisha Bakula
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Guitar – Aaron Doerr
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE REVIEWS
Four Stars! “New Line Theater Founder and Artistic Director Scott Miller has chosen the ideal show to launch their new season, a production that totally matches the charter of his young, energetic and sometimes feverish theater. It’s called Passing Strange, and it is the familiar story of a young man in a search for himself and his future. . . . The energy and emotion of this production is potent. This cast displays enormous versatility and talent, and an obvious passion for the material. It is very involving for the audience. New Line knows what it’s doing and it shows. This is a terrific little show about a very personal journey that makes a night at New Line a very charged & involving experience.” – Harry Hamm, KMOX

“New Line’s season opener rocks. Literally. Never letting you forget you’re watching a play, Passing Strange challenges the preconceptions about what a musical is – a musical for people who don’t think they like musicals. It’s a high-octane, allegorical, semi-autobiographical account of a musician, Mark Stewart, who goes by the single name Stew and his journey of self-discovery. . . It’s a brilliant show with memorable performances and amazing songs. Actually, I’m buying the cast recording the second I post this entry. In short, go see it. I’m not kidding.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“Passing Strange is its own show, and an excellent one. . . It’s an exciting mélange of musical styles, with seven outstanding performers sizzling across the stage. . . It’s an interesting, fast-paced evening of musical theater with an exciting score, typical of the off-beat, difficult-to- characterize New Line productions.” – Joe Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks 

“This production by New Line Theatre provides a passionate experience, emboldened by excellent performances and top notch direction, and driven by superb work from the musicians playing the tuneful score. . . Passing Strange is a must-see for all young artists, but it’s equally worthy of attention by the entire theatre-going crowd, since it’s incredibly captivating and involving, and filled with great music.” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld 

“New Line Theatre has once again put a strong cast and a surprisingly good story on stage and makes us fall in love with musical theatre we may not be familiar with. In other words, Passing Strange is no Sound Of Music and the audience is better for it. . . You won’t find a more daring, unexpected or entertaining evening of theater anywhere else in St. Louis.” – Steve Allen, Java Journal 

“The musical Passing Strange takes the audience on a wild ride through sex, drugs and rock and roll. . . In director Scott Miller’s very capable hands, the show is poignant at times, angry at others, sometimes warm and very often hilarious.” – Christopher Reilly, The Patch 

“New Line rocks on in Passing Strange! Theater artists are almost useless in isolation. It takes at least a few people to put on the simplest and smallest of shows. That’s true even when a theater artist has a big personality and big hand in the work on stage. Stew is that kind of theater artist, and so is Scott Miller. Stew (aka Mark Stewart) wrote (and won a Tony for writing), co-composed (with Heidi Rodewald) and originally starred in Passing Strange, the exhilarating, hard-rocking musical that just opened here at New Line Theatre. Miller, who founded New Line in 1991 and remains its artistic director, has directed every show that it has staged, including this one. You can see their influences in this production, shimmering with Stew’s wit and shaking with Miller’s style. But it wouldn’t matter if not for the other artists who contributed their talents, notably the band and the ensemble.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Passing Strange is an intoxicating, invigorating and beguiling piece as whimsical in its writing as in its lively and spirited music. . . A critical smash [on Broadway] but lukewarm box-office draw, it closed after just 165 performances. Perhaps if the incomparable Charles Glenn had been belting out Stew’s free-wheeling tunes as the Narrator on the Great White Way, as he is in New Line Theatre’s sparkling presentation, it might still be playing there. Glenn has a masterful, multi-textured voice, an instrument he utilizes with utmost finesse under Scott Miller’s loving, carefully crafted direction. From the high-flying starting number, “We Might Play All Night,” to the bouncy, jaunty “Blues Revelation” to the beautiful ballad “Amsterdam” and the scintillating show tune, “The Black One,” Glenn takes control of this breezy romp and fills its two hours and 30 minutes with bravado and syncopated gusto.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News 

“New Line is off to a flying start with the first local production of the musical Passing Strange . . . it has a marvelous score that comes to life with irresistible energy in the New Line production. Director Scott Miller is completely in tune with the show’s quest for artistic identity. . . There’s more in Passing Strange than I could take in, in one sitting. I hope this show won’t be a stranger to St. Louis theatres.” – Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle 

“In his program notes, director Scott Miller offers that he opted for a technically minimalist production to allow for the 'rich, rowdy music and lyrics.' Set by Todd Schaefer and costumes by Amy Kelly do their duty to stay out of the way. The little that’s present does a lot to gently accentuate the show and its cast – a swirling psychedelic blue brick road underlies the journey, actors clothed in gray basics become colorful characters as they toss around bright accessories. Most importantly, Miller’s minimalism accentuates the talent of his cast. With little to distract in the intimate theatre, the space is quickly filled with the finest wrist flick or arched brow. The actors also have all the room they need to play, and easily fill the stage as they acid trip in LA and riot in Berlin.” – Emily Piro, KDHX

“Passing Strange, Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s hybrid musical/rock concert experience, challenges the notions of identity and theatrical conventions even as its hero confronts the stereotype of the rock & roll bohemian as a strictly white creation.” – The Riverfront Times

“Everyone around me was raving about the singing, the story, everything. . . Overall, there is a lot to like here.” – Rosiland Early, St. Louis Magazine

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Passing Strange deserves a place beside other great autobiographical works of art, like Federico Fellini’s 8½ , Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories, Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz, and Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. Like the others, Passing Strange traffics in surrealism and symbolism and metaphor, but unlike the others, this story is built not on images, but almost exclusively on music – rock, punk, acid rock, funk, gospel, R&B, Latin, and a little Kurt Weill and Burt Bacharach thrown in too. Here, the visuals are as minimalist as possible to make way for the rich, rowdy music and lyrics.

Constructed on the classic Hero Myth, the script calls the story’s hero just “Youth,” not “the Youth,” as if he’s standing in not only for the writer as a young man, but also for that whole period of life between childhood and adulthood, when choices are made and life’s puzzles are teased out. Late in the show the narrator says, “You know, it’s weird when you wake up that morning and realize that your entire adult life was based on a decision made by a teenager. A stoned teenager.” Like Pippin, the story of Passing Strange is episodic, exploring religion, politics, hedonism, and domesticity, but unlike Prince Pippin, this Youth finds what he’s looking for – or at the very least, he finds the road toward his destination.

Writer-composer Stew (née Mark Stewart) told NPR, “It’s what I like to call autobiographical fiction, in that every single thing that’s happening on the stage, I can point to something in my life, some kind of corollary, you know, that corresponds in some way. Did the things that happened in Amsterdam in our play happen to me? Some of them, but not all. It’s really just about the costs of being a young artist. It's a 46-year-old guy looking back at the things that he did and the values he had in his 20s, sort of when you're making that decision to really be an artist, you know?” Or as the Youth puts it, "I illuminate with fiction the darkness truth cannot explain.”

This is a memory play, like The Glass Menagerie or Long Day’s Journey Into Night, so these characters exist only in Stew’s memory, fictionalized both by the years and by intention. Some may see the show as a “black musical,” but race is only one of its topics. The African American Stew created the show with a white co-composer, white director, all white designers, and his all-white band (aside from him), The Negro Problem.

Stew tells us that the Youth’s journey is about finding The Real, but he doesn’t explicitly define it for us. He only tells us that “The Real is a construct.” Well, time is a construct too. Race is a construct. Theatre is a construct. Most importantly, our lives are a construct. We create them. We build them over time, moment by moment. We fashion them as we live them, very much as a product of our own ideology, personal history, and social circumstances. And when we realize that The Real is a construct for each one of us, that necessarily means that your Real will always be different from my Real, because each of us is coming from a different place and heading toward a different destination.

We each have our own Real to find, our own Tao. Passing Strange is Stew’s Real and tonight he shares it with us.

And it’s alright… cue music…

bare (2011)

Book by Jon Hartmere & Damon Intrabartolo
Music by Damon Intrabartolo
Lyrics by Jon Hartmere
June 2-25, 2011
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Jason – Jacob Golliher
Peter – Mike Dowdy
Ivy – Terrie Carolan
Nadia – Charlotte Byrd
Matt – Jonathan Foster
Lucas – Rahamses Galvan
Diane – Nyssa Duchow
Priest – Zachary Allen Farmer
Sr. Chantelle – Nikki Glenn
Claire – Alison Helmer
Zack – Chance Kilgour
Kyra – Andréa Kimberling
Rory – Sarah Porter
Alan – John Michael Rotello
Tanya – Michelle Sauer

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Asst. Director – Aleena Yunuba-Hammack
Costume Designer – Thom Crain
Scenic Designer – Todd Schaefer
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Stage Manager – Trisha Bakula
Props Master – Alison Helmer
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Lead Guitar/Flute – D. Mike Bauer
Rhythm Guitar – Aaron Doerr
Keyboard – Sue Goldford
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE REVIEWS
“New Line Theatre's current production of bare is a devastatingly powerful presentation that features a strong and talented cast performing at an exceptional level under director Scott Miller's sure hand. . . New Line Theatre's powerful and provocative production of bare: a pop opera is must-see theatre, providing the kind of experience that absolutely defines modern musical theatre, mixing catchy, open-ended compositions with an undeniably important subject matter. Make an effort to see it soon!” – BroadwayWorld.com

“This month, the truth serum seems to come to us in live theater, in the form of the very entertaining teen-angst musical Bare. . . director Scott Miller draws both actors, and the entire cast, to performances that are strikingly real and compelling, in spite of all the possible pitfalls of the high school drama at hand. It’s another remarkably solid cast for a New Line show. . . Bare is full of great story telling and fun music, rich characters and very fine performances.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway.com

“A 4.5 on a scale of 1-to-5. It’s smart, humorous and sophisticated, all elements readily observable in the regional premiere mounted by artistic director Scott Miller in New Line Theatre’s engaging and accessible presentation. . . Miller keeps the production moving briskly while also consistently bringing out the work’s sophistication, including guiding his players successfully through its complicated score. Really, there’s little bare about this rendition past its title. Quite the opposite, it’s an engaging evening of entertainment.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“A Must-See. The 20-foot cross looming over the stage at New Line Theater was ominous, both in the minutes before the show began, and during the production. And it was hard to tell if it was intended to stretch wide, hugging the cast in an embrace, or to stand distant, arms akimbo in rebuke. Such thematic dualism reoccurs throughout Scott Miller’s production of bare.” – Darren Orf, St. Louis Magazine

“Go to New Line and plunge into this sad, dense, haunting pop opera. Yet for all its complexity, it’s emotionally bare. Created by composer Damon Intrabartolo and lyricist Jon Hartmere Jr., bare enjoys a cult following but not the kind of fame associated with, for example, Spring Awakening. But its similar story is equally powerful, conveyed not only by the director Scott Miller and the actors but through Intrabartolo’s romantic pop score, performed with passion by conductor Justin Smolik and the New Line Band. . . bare addresses a wealth of teen problems – substance abuse, pregnancy, questions of sexual identity, teen suicide – but it's no after-school special. It offers no answers, beyond an assertion that honesty is healthy and secrecy can be lethal.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“The cast of New Line Theatre's production of bare is strong in terms of both acting and vocals. . . bare is an original show with complicated musical structure. The fine cast is able to produce some unique harmonies and chords that at first sound discordant. It is to their credit and director Scott Miller’s casting that they are able to pull it off. . . bare is a show that explores a myriad of problems facing young people and their struggle to learn from and overcome the obstacles they face. It's definitely a show worth seeing.” – Christopher Reilly, The Patch

“It’s a strong, intelligent, interesting show that has played here and there around the country for more than a decade. This is its St. Louis premiere. . . Given the story and the setting, a number of younger actors (many students at Webster University) got the chance, and there are some splendid performances.” – Joe Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks

“The cast of New Line’s bare brings more power than is probably needed in the small space but the show’s powerful message comes through loud and clear. The cast is a good one and this cult musical makes an impressive local debut. . . It’s all tied together with the great touch of New Line’s artistic director Scott Miller. And the flawless work by the band led by Justin Smolik adds to the lovely evening. . . It’s an adult production with some very provocative scenes and music that may not be to everyone’s taste, but bare really makes for a delightful evening of musical theater.” – Steve Allen, Java Journal

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
I have been continually blown away by the sophistication, craft, and complexity of the bare score. The harmonic language is so unique, living entirely in the musical vocabulary of pop music and alternative rock, but crafted with a confidence and fearlessness and freshness that is very exciting.

Unlike most conventional musicals, in the bare score phrases aren't always in multiples of four bars; many songs do not end on the tonic chord the way almost all Western music does; there are lots of ambiguous open-fifth chords, missing the note that makes a chord sound either major or minor, happy or sad; and this music often screws around with the rules of harmonic progressions, surprising our ears but never so much that our ears rebel. To the untrained ear, the score sounds like great pop music. To the trained ear, composer Damon Intrabartolo’s music is just as unique and surprising as the music of Bill Finn (Falsettos, Spelling Bee, A New Brain) or Tom Kitt (High Fidelity, Next to Normal).

Structurally, Intrabartolo and lyricist Jon Hartmere use the vocabulary of opera – arias, recitative, leitmotifs and themes, choral work, lots of complex counterpoint – but all within the harmonic and melodic world of American pop and rock. It's a neat trick they’ve pulled off, giving these young characters the right musical voices while giving their drama a powerful underlying musical structure.

But none of this is why bare is so special or why it resonates so powerfully with so many tens of thousands of young people across our country. Perhaps the reason for its power and its popularity is its honesty. Since the 1960s, the true test of rock and roll is authenticity. And bare has that in spades. It is truthful about being young in America at this moment in time like very few other musicals are – with the possible exception of the extraordinary American Idiot. Even at my age, I see myself in almost all these characters and their potent, painful emotions.

A few years ago I was noticing that we were producing fewer specifically gay-themed shows than we had in the past, and I wondered if maybe the gay community had come so far that gay Americans don’t need “gay theatre” the way they did in the 1990s. After all, gay marriage is slowly spreading across the country now, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is ending, and there are many other positive signs.

But at the same time, every five hours an American gay teenager kills himself and twenty others try. And just last month, Tennessee passed a new law literally forbidding teachers to even acknowledge that gay people exist.

Things are better today than ever before, but there are still miles to go before we sleep. Maybe bare can help a little.

Two Gentlemen of Verona (2011)

Music by Galt MacDermot
Lyrics by John Guare
Book by William Shakespeare and Mel Shapiro
March 3-26, 2011
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Proteus – Zachary Allen Farmer
Valentine – Eeyan Richardson
Julia – Jeanitta Perkins
Silvia – Taylor Pietz
Launce – Joel Hackbarth
Speed – Mike Dowdy
Lucetta – Terrie Carolan
The Duke of Milan – Tom Conway
Thurio – Aaron Allen
Eglamour – Michael Jones
Milkmaid – Kimi Short
Ensemble – Mara Bollini, Rahamses Galvan, Emily Ivy, Michelle Sauer, Kimi Short

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Costume Designer – Thom Crain
Scenic Designer – Todd Schaefer
Lighting Designer – Christopher MWaller
Stage Manager – Trisha Bakula
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Specialty Prop Design – Pat Edmonds
House Manager – Ann Stinebaker
Box Office Manager – Vicki Herrmann
Lighting Technician – Trisha Bakula
Specialty Prop Design – Pat Edmonds
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Bass – Dave Hall
Percussion – Clancy Newell
Trumpet – Cliff Phillips
Reeds – Marc Strathman

THE REVIEWS
“New Line Theatre’s Two Gentlemen of Verona is an enthusiastic, gutsy, spirited, humorous and totally entertaining show. New Line’s cast is the ultimate in professional silliness. Shakespeare has never been this much fun!” – Harry Hamm, KMOX

“It's a happy romp! It's a silly, illogical, lovely tale! And it's a hit! It's New Line Theatre's immensely enjoyable new offering, the musical comedy version of Two Gentlemen of Verona. . . The New Line cast is uniformly fine. There simply isn't a weak spot. It's full of New Line veterans brimming with talent and with that special kind of family love that Scott Miller has magically fostered in his company over the years. They all perform with such joy and confidence and generosity of heart. . . as a whole package – the show, the cast, the band, the production values – it all makes New Line Theatre's Two Gentlemen of Verona the most purely enjoyable evening of theatre I've had in a long, long time.” – Steve Callahan, KDHX

“New Line Theatre and director Scott Miller's current production of Two Gentlemen of Verona not only rocks, but it's hilarious as well, aided greatly by the spectacular efforts of an enthusiastic cast and a crack band. I honestly can't recall when I've ever witnessed an audience laugh at and enjoy Shakespeare more; the resident Bad Boy of Musical Theatre has come through again. . . I really love the way director/music director Scott Miller makes the most of each comic moment, not milking it, but mining it for the richest results. . . New Line Theatre's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona is brilliantly executed and funny as hell. This terrific presentation continues through March 26.” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld.com

“Director Scott Miller's production just goes to show what you already know: That Shakespeare is so strong, a smart production can take his work in almost any direction, and it will flourish. Just take a look. . . We can identify with unfamiliar times, places or situations when theater artists help us draw fresh, imaginative connections. Miller, who often stages shows that aren't obvious or easy, not only seems to know that's possible, he appreciates how those unsuspected links can pay off in enormous theatrical pleasure. And that's exactly what Two Gents delivers.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“This winsome work by MacDermot, Guare and Shapiro is a delightful romp that is much more than the sum of its parts. Scott Miller’s inspired version directed for New Line Theatre features an exuberant and engaging cast that thoroughly enjoys itself and infectiously spreads that fervor throughout its audience. . . With Miller’s flamboyant and spirited approach, though, it’s easy to sit back and enjoy these musical Gentlemen. A 4.5 on a scale of 1-to-5.” – Mark Bretz, The Ladue News

“New Line Theatre pushes the proverbial envelope to dimensions other theatres simply do not. If you want to see a show and feel like you're in New York or Chicago, go see a show at New Line. Go see Two Gentlemen of Verona. It'll be the most fun you have at the theater this year.” – Christopher Reilly, The Patch

“The familiar New Line crew never fails to disappoint, and the ensemble members are always completely engaged and energetic. . . I was struck with how familiar the songs sounded and then I remembered, oh yeah, Galt MacDermot did the music for this. He also composed the music for Hair, and the music for Two Gents is very reminiscent of that (with a little Spanish spice thrown in) – engaging, groovy, and the New Line Band was tight and handled it well. . . After a while, you forget that it's Shakespeare. And I mean that in a good way.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“This is one you don’t want to miss. It’s really a piece of history and the infrequency of productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona makes it a true must-see.” – Steve Allen, Java Journal

“Mardi Gras in St. Louis turned cold and blustery, but spring is very much in the air, thanks to this bright, funny, beautiful show. And if you were expecting another New Line musical with a dark, cold edge to it, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by this thoroughly light-hearted adventure. Producer/director Scott Miller must be in love – or, at least, in love with this show.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway.com

“It’s like the counter-culture that invaded the musical a few years earlier in Hair has now been integrated into the fabric of society. . . The New Line production is so much fun that no one with the least curiosity about this show should pass up the rare opportunity to see it.” – Gerry Kowarsky, Two on the Aisle

“It's bright and breezy in its current production by New Line Theatre. It opened last night and will run delightfully through March 26. . . Scott Miller's direction is solid, and Robin Michelle Berger did some charming choreography, well-handled by the cast. The acting also is strong. . . a highly enjoyable evening.” – Joe Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
It’s easy to say in hindsight, but maybe Two Gents was the perfect Shakespeare play for the composer of Hair to tackle. After all, this play was Shakespeare’s Rent, youthful, raw, rowdy, messy, rude, and certainly flawed. And composer Jonathan Larson said that he intended Rent to be the new Hair. It’s the flaws that give Hair, Two Gents, and Rent -- and our June show, bare --their rawness and rough edges. They don’t feel manufactured or focus-grouped. They possess that same authenticity that the best, most lasting rock and roll has. The same is true of lots of recent musicals, like Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, American Idiot, Love Kills, Passing Strange, and others.

Like the brilliant filmmaker Tim Burton, Shakespeare wasn’t always the best storyteller in the world. He borrowed plots, he relied on improbable coincidences, mistaken identity, and other devices we’d find amateurish in anyone else’s hands. Just as Burton’s real artistry is in his visual language, Shakespeare’s real artistry is in the complex psychology of his characters, maybe even more so than in his amazing language. He was the first theatre writer to delve deep down into the complexities of human emotion and motivation, and he got it so right in most of his plays that we continue to perform them hundreds of years later.

Two Gentlemen of Verona was Shakespeare’s first play, and though he’s not at the top of his game here, he’s still Shakespeare, and that’s enough. The musical’s original director Mel Shapiro and playwright John Guare fixed some of the play’s problems, and together with composer Galt MacDermot, they fashioned a new work, one still very organic to Shakespeare’s play but with a contemporary sensibility that brings this rarely produced work to vivid, modern life. Its 1971 cultural vibe brings so much more complexity and high stakes to the story, adding to the original plot a pregnancy, a decision about abortion, and the Duke’s habit of sending Silvia’s boyfriends not just away, but literally off to “the Vietnam meat grinder,” as they used to call it.

It’s true that Two Gents as a play doesn’t have the artistry or polish of Hamlet or The Tempest, but there is much that’s wonderful here. Critic Paul Friswold wrote about our other Shakespearean rock musical, Return to the Forbidden Planet, “This is no parlor trick of a musical; there’s a rich vein of Shakespeare’s favorite ingredient – the wondrous depths of the human heart – that elevates the show from cunning stunt to artful meditation on the destructive nature of power and the redemptive power of love.” The same is true here.

Our hope with this production is to get back to the original spirit of Shakespeare’s plays – rowdy, sexy, dirty, funny, popular, irreverent, rule-busting, and most of all, deeply, crazily human.