Hands on a Hardbody (2014)

music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green
lyrics by Amanda Green
book by Doug Wright
based on the documentary film by S. R. Bindler
May 29-June 21, 2014
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Jesus Peña – Reynaldo Arceno
Mike Ferris – Mike Dowdy
Janis Curtis – Cindy Duggan
Frank Nugent – Zachary Allen Farmer
Greg Wilhote – Ryan Foizey
Virginia Drew – Alison Helmer
Ronald McCowan – Marshall Jennings
Heather Stovall – Taylor Pietz
JD Drew – Todd Schaefer
Norma Valverde – Anna Skidis
Cindy Barnes – Margeau Baue Steinau
Chris Alvaro – Luke Steingruby
Don Curtis – Keith Thompson
Kelli Mangrum – Marcy Wiegert
Benny Perkins – Jeffrey M. Wright

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Sue Goldford
Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Cello – Emily Ebrecht
Violin – Nikki Glenn
Bass – Andrew Gurney
Second Keyboard – Joel Hackbarth
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Assistant Director – Mike Dowdy
Stage Manager – Gabe Taylor
Scenic Designer – Rob Lippert
The Truck – Rob Lippert, Patrick Donnigan, Melanie Kozak,Shelley Francis, Kathleen Dwyer
Sound Designer – Kerrie Mondy
Costume Designers – Sarah Porter, Marcy Wiegert
Lighting Designer – Kenneth Zinkl
Props Master – Kimi Short
Lighting Technician – Gabe Taylor
Box Office Manager – Christopher "Zany" Clark
Volunteer Coordinator – Alison Helmer
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

REVIEWS

“The songs in this musical are so damn good. It’s hard to find the words that will truly do them justice. . . With great music, a talented cast and a tremendous group of creatives, Hands on a Hardbody is the surprise hit of the year. There’s something in it for everyone, and surely some aspect to relate with. Whether it’s a truck, or something else your chasing, you’ve got to ‘just keep holding on.’” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“In the case of the musical Hands on a Hardbody, story, music and production all come together seamlessly in New Line Theatre’s brilliant and captivating presentation. . . considering that most of the performers spend most of their time literally standing around that cynosure vehicle, Hands on a Hardbody is deceptively exhilarating. . . If you like many musical styles all done impeccably, take this production for a test run.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“Looking over a list of New Line Theatre’s shows for the past 23 years is a very telling experience. This is a group dedicated to restoring the old and embracing the new. That’s why their current production of Hands on a Hardbody shouldn’t shock you that it’s so damn good (it really is), because this is exactly what they do so well. They take something tuneful and different, perform it enthusiastically in an intimate environment, and the audience is rewarded with a fresh and invigorating experience. Go see Hands on a Hardbody now!” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“Because of its big heart and real story, the theatrical experience is refreshing, an antithesis of spectacle. It’s warm, funny and touching – clever showcasing, compassionate writing by Pulitzer Prize-winning Doug Wright and pleasing songs by Tony nominees Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green. . . This production features a vitality and nobility that makes it a must-see. You might not have heard of this show, but you definitely won’t forget it.” – Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat

“The tender and often funny show comes off as the little show that could. There is nothing huge about it, except it’s packed with emotion and originality, and is a true treat for seasoned or new theater goers alike. Even the cynical will enjoy it. . . Perhaps this clever and heartfelt show—that treats its characters with the utmost respect—never belonged on the Great White Way. It definitely belongs at New Line.” – Christopher Reilly, Alive Magazine

“This bittersweet musical considers the fragile state of the American Dream in the 21st century, with heartfelt songs and familiar characters. . . The result is a solid production, resonating with simple truths and honest, realistic characters who manage to find silver linings in their struggles. . . Scott Miller’s sharp eye and sure direction keep the show visually interesting; with a surprising amount of action considering most of the cast keeps one hand firmly planted on the large truck center stage. The result is an emotionally compelling show that pays tribute to the resilient spirit of the American people without relying on the potentially false promise of the American Dream.” – Tina Farmer, KDHX

“Director Scott Miller has a knack for bringing renewed life to musicals, old and new, and Hardbody is no exception. Sucking you in from the first extended number, ‘It’s a Human Drama Thing,’ . . Your heart breaks a little each time someone takes their hand off of that truck. Go see it.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“It’s a pretty sure bet that in the next five years or so, we’ll all have some gizmo called Google Maps of the Soul. And with that app, whenever you’re heading for abstract locations like the intersection of Hope and Despair, you can know about it well before you ever hit the off-ramp. The same advance notice would apply to the cerebral cross-streets of Laughter and Tears, and Faith and Skepticism, as well. But till then, you can just bookmark all those cataclysmic mental latitudes (with a lot of delicious jokes and songs, too) by making one stop at the regional premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, under the surprisingly lithe and dynamic direction of New Line Theatre’s artistic chief Scott Miller. . . And at precisely that moment, you realize you have reached your psychological destination: a crossroads of where we were, and where thought we had been going.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

“With some catchy songs, a strong cast and excellent staging, New Line brings this show to life in vibrant, life-affirming style. . . It’s a stirring story of friendship, love, faith, disillusionment, fear, economic hardship, and the ever-enduring sense of hope that there’s something better down the road. . . It’s a vibrant, energetic, and deeply compelling production with characters just as full of vibrant color as the truck they are all vying for. Although that truck can ultimately only go to one person, everyone is a winner in the long run, and that includes the audience of this big, shiny, colorful prize of a show.” – Michelle Kenyon, Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts

“Last year, Hands on a Hardbody had just a short run on Broadway. New Line – which took similar chances on High Fidelity and Cry-Baby – gives the show its first production since then. Prediction: It won’t be the last.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“It’s been my experience that any musical in which lyricist and composer Amanda Green is involved is always a ton of fun. . . That seems to be Scott Miller’s specialty, finding discarded musicals in the Broadway junkyard, like High Fidelity, and turning them into regional theatre gold. Amanda Green was present for the opening performance and she appeared to enjoy herself immensely. Of course it’s easy to enjoy a production featuring so many of the top voices in the St. Louis theatre scene today.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

“There are plenty of bright spots to this quirky show, which, judging from the standing ovation it received Friday night, succeeds on the passion of its cast and singularity of its execution.” – Malcolm Gay, The Riverfront Times

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Hands on a Hardbody is about a real-life contest that went on for years in East Texas, in which the last person standing with their hand on a pickup truck, often after three or four days, wins it. The contest ended after 2005, when one of the contestants lost, went across the street, broke into a Kmart and shot himself in the head.

Talk about high stakes.

But our story isn’t really about the truck. It’s about the American middle class struggling to climb out of the massive, seemingly inescapable hole that our government threw us into in the 1980s and again in the early 2000s. And it’s also about what makes us Americans – attitude, grit, bravado, stubbornness, contradiction, self-delusion, toughness, aggressiveness, appetite, commitment, authenticity. These people are America.

This is a character study of our country.

But it’s not just about economic salvation; it’s also about the salvation of dignity. Many of these people have had their dignity taken away from them, by Reaganomics (in the original 1997 documentary) or the 2008 recession (in the musical). This contest is a chance to reclaim that lost dignity.

At first, I thought this was a story about holding on, hanging tough. But now I see that, even more, it’s about what we value, a very timely topic in these tough times. Every one of these contestants thinks this truck is incredibly important, their salvation, their only hope. In the first two songs in the show, they each tell us how high the stakes are for them, how desperately they need to win, how it will change or even save their lives. But then all but one of them lose, and we find out in the last song that they were wrong about the truck.

The truck wasn’t the point after all, they discover. It’s the journey, not the destination; the ordeal, the striving, that teaches them what they need to learn. On the other hand, many of them wouldn’t take this journey (ironically enough, by standing around a truck that never goes anywhere), if not for this contest and this truck. In a way, none of them really needs to win the truck, but they all need the truck to find what they are missing.

The contest shows them that they were on the wrong path. They were valuing things and ultimately, they all learn that people – simple human connections – matter more.

Benny is right, after all; it is a human drama thing.

Rent (2014)

book, music, and lyrics by Jonathan Larson
original concept/additional lyrics by Billy Aronson
based on the novel Scenes de la Vie de Bohème by Henri Murger
March 6-29, 2014
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Mark Cohen – Jeremy Hyatt
Roger Davis – Evan Fornachon
Angel Dumott Schunard – Luke Steingruby
Tom Collins – Marshall Jennings
Mimi Marquez – Anna Skidis
Maureen Johnson – Sarah Porter
Joanne Jefferson – Cody LaShea
Benjamin Coffin III – Shawn Bowers
Paul, Waiter, “Christmas Bells” soloist, et al. – Kevin Corpuz
Mr. Jefferson, The Man, et al. – Robert Lee Davis III
Gordon, “Seasons of Love” soloist, et al. – Zachary Allen Farmer
Steve, vender, Pastor, et al. – Ryan Foizey
Alexi Darling, Back-Up Singer, et al. – Wendy Greenwood
Angry Lady, “Seasons of Love” soloist, et al. – Melissa Harris
Mrs. Jefferson, et al. – Nellie Mitchell
Mrs. Cohen, Pam, Back-Up Singer, et al. – Marcy Wiegert

THE NEW LINE BAND
Piano/Conductor – Justin Smolik
Lead Guitar – D. Mike Bauer
Bass – Vince Clark
Rhythm Guitar – Aaron Doerr
Percussion – Clancy Newell

THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Director – Scott Miller
Assistant Director – Mike Dowdy
Music Director – Justin Smolik
“Tango: Maureen” Choreographer – Robin Michelle Berger
Scenic and Lighting Designer – Rob Lippert
Costume Designers – Sarah Porter, Marcy Wiegert
Sound Designer – Kerrie Mondy
Scenic Painters – Melanie Kozak, Sharon Russell, Gary Karasek
Graffiti Artists – William Wade, Kathleen Dwyer, Mitchell Matthews, Justin Foizey
Stage Manager – Gabe Taylor
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Lighting Technician – Gabe Taylor
Box Office Manager – Kim Avants
Volunteer Coordinator – Ann Stinebaker
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

REVIEWS

“So how did co-directors Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy craft the hard-faceted and brilliant gem of a show I saw Friday night from the detritus that is Rent? The mind reels. Theirs is a Rent that is sharp, incisive and viscerally moving. These characters matter; their struggles to find themselves in the wastelands of their early twenties are a potent reminder of what it's like to feel lost in your own life, and that even small steps toward maturity can feel immense. In Miller and Dowdy's hands, Rent is a show that deserves every bit of its formidable reputation as the musical that revivified musicals for the next generation. . . It is a masterpiece of stagecraft, a composition as visually stunning as it is sonically powerful.” – Paul Friswold, The Riverfront Times

“Jonathan Larson's 1996 rock musical unfolds to epic proportions in this lively new production. It's also sweet and funny and beautiful, under the direction of Scott Miller. . . It almost seems Mr. Miller is choosing his seasons nowadays for sheer emotional complexity, along with New Line's usual focus on strong musicianship. And the results have been enthralling. Rent continues the company's recent trend of bringing stunning characters furiously to life, in all their contradictions.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

"An intimate, emotionally charged production filled with memorable performances. . . Director Scott Miller and assistant Mike Dowdy have assembled a uniformly talented, fearless cast, and the two excel in pulling out the small moments that illuminate character development. The presence of a guiding hand is clear throughout the production, yet the movements and character nuances feel almost organic, as if each actor pulled his or her role from the inside out. The result is a unified cast that creates a truly bohemian community on the stage. And this feeling is intensified in the group numbers, where layered harmonies blend seamlessly, rising and falling with the emotion of the story." – Tina Farmer, KDHX

“With the current local production of Rent, the question was could New Line Theatre show me something the national tour hadn’t? The answer came last Saturday night: Yes. Yes, they could. . . Undoubtedly, the intimacy of a small production helps to make the story more sincere, but it’s more than that. Director Scott Miller has removed sole focus on a handful of characters to focus on the cast as a whole, and this helps to view the work as a singular organism, with a singular meaning and purpose. Even the music seemed better, with the excellent voices and performances by the cast and the New Line band under the direction of Justin Smolik, two things you can always count on at New Line. . . Everything works together throughout the entire production, top to bottom, for a powerhouse evening of theater.” – Christopher Reilly, Alive Magazine

“If you think you've seen Rent before, you really haven't. . . This is a must-see show, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. . . Scott Miller's direction, with the able assistance of Mike Dowdy, is a revelation. . . Rent is a modern classic, and New Line's wonderful production shows us why.” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“This Rent has a completely different vibe from the big show that toured the country. Intimate and raw, this production makes the story coherent and the music effective, instead of merely loud. Yes, size matters – but not in the way we usually think it does.” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Leave it to New Line Theater to give this seminal work a fresh spin. The result is an electric, enthralling presentation of the landmark Pulitzer-Prize, Tony-winning musical that ran for 12 years on Broadway. . . [The actors'] zeal propelled the show's intensity, and it seemed like we were seeing some of these characters for the first time.” – Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat

“The new concept and the advantage of intimacy that New Line always offers, makes this one a big, fat hit. . . It’s a total effort that shows the diversity and depth of New Line talent. Scott Miller has once again put his personal stamp on a classic show and it turns out to be yet another audience pleaser. . . this score is pulsating, tender and just a pure delight. Now we have a production that matches these great songs and makes you actually like the people who populate the show. This one’s a big hit, folks.” – Steve Allen, Stagedoor St. Louis

“I was admittedly one of those folks who didn't get all the hype around Rent after I saw it for the first time several years ago. Well, now I get it. The characters this time around, though dealing with major issues that would be tough for anyone, have an affable quality that was lacking the last time I saw it. Could it be because seeing a show like this in New Line's intimate space makes the theatre experience not just something you see, but something you feel? Yes. But it's also New Line's artistic director, Scott Miller's knack for gaining a deep understanding of whatever he puts his hands on, and translating that to his cast, who in turn translate that to us, reaching out to the audience, in this case literally, with invigorating connection. way better than the touring production. There. I said it.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“Rent is being performed by New Line Theatre to sold-out houses, including a most appreciative audience. . . Seeing Rent up close and personal at New Line’s theater is a definite improvement over the more impersonal venue at The Fox, where touring companies have done the show with seemingly less impact.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“I’m glad directors Scott Miller and Mike Dowdy have chosen to follow their own vision for the show. New Line’s version is full of youth and energy. It’s also staged with a sense of immediacy that brings a lot of life to the show. Although the passage of time has turned Rent into something of a period piece, New Line doesn’t treat it that way, and that’s as it should be. It’s an iconic show made achingly real, with all the truth and energy brought along with its humanity. It may have taken New Line many years to finally do this show, but this production is well worth that wait.” – Snoop’s Theatre Thoughts (local blogger)

“As a first-time observer of this story, there was a lot to take in. Rent is the kind of show that rewards its audience with repeated viewings. I could see the show five more times and discover some new facet that I completely overlooked each time before. It’s complex, funny, dark, thought-provoking and ultimately very entertaining.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Since we first announced Rent, several people have said to me some variation of “I hate Rent. Those characters are all selfish, whiny brats!” These people are not entirely wrong. But they’re also missing a lot.

This is a coming-of-age story, and so it requires a central character (or characters) who have not yet come of age. If the kids in Rent were all well-adjusted and wise, there’d be no story to tell. Remember what a whiny bitch Luke Skywalker is when we first meet him on Tatooine? And though we don’t really see it, it’s strongly implied early in The Wizard of Oz that Dorothy is a real pain in the ass too. And really, the whole point of High Fidelity is that Rob’s a dick, and he needs to grow up and stop being a dick.

Every protagonist in every story has to learn something. In Rent, these kids need to learn to see beyond their own selves, their own lives, their own immediate wants; to learn that we’re all interconnected, we’re all responsible for each other, or as Sondheim put it so elegantly, “Careful, no one is alone.”

I have this theory that the people who hate Rent see their younger selves in these characters and they don’t like that. After all, most of us are whiny and selfish when you’re young (and we artsies can be the worst); we all still have growing up left to do at that age. On the other hand, several of the central characters in Rent are dealing with much bigger issues than nineteen- or twenty-year-olds should face – AIDS, death, suicide, drug addiction, dangerous streets, etc. How many college-age kids ever grapple with anything like that?

 Hero Myth stories like this work because we instinctively recognize the elements of the story, even if only subconsciously, as elements of our own lives. The hero’s journey is always a metaphor for living a human life.

Angel is the wise wizard in this collective hero myth. She’s almost other-worldly in her Zen-like understanding of the world around her, her wisdom, her compassion. She’s there to teach the others (and us) a valuable lesson, to see the world in terms of what we can give instead of what we can get. Angel teaches her friends to be more Christ-like.

After all, Rent is about “the least of these,” the poor, the outcasts, the sick, the rejected – you know, the folks Jesus hung out with. For much of the twentieth century, Alphabet City has been where mainstream society’s rejects form their own community, their own support system, to some extent even their own economy. It’s the place where Mark can toast, “To being an us for once, instead of them.” It’s a place where Mark can ask, “Is anyone in the mainstream?” because he knows the answer is no. Not here.

Maybe the most potent part of the magic of Rent is that its production requires the same kind of community the show depicts. Any cast of Rent has to be, by Jonathan Larson’s design, racially and sexually diverse. And that’s why performing and watching Rent can be so powerful – the sense of community and the intense emotions aren’t just realistic; they’re real. The actors aren’t just portraying all that; they’re living it onstage.

And we’re living it with them.

Night of the Living Dead (2013)

music by Matt Conner
book by Stephen Gregory Smith
lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith and Matt Conner
based on the film by George A. Romero
Oct. 10-Nov. 2, 2013
Washington University South Campus Theatre
Show Webpage
Production Photos

THE CAST
Ben – Zachary Allen Farmer
Barbra – Marcy Wiegert
Harry – Mike Dowdy
Helen – Sarah Porter
Tom – Joseph McAnulty
Judy – Mary Beth Black
Karen – Phoebe Desilets

THE ARTISTIC STAFF

Director – Scott Miller

Scenic and Lighting Designer – Rob Lippert
Costume Designers – Sarah Porter, Marcy Wiegert
Sound Designer – Kerrie Mondy
Stage Manager – Gabe Taylor
Props Master – Alison Helmer
Lighting Technician – Gabe Taylor
Box Office Manager – Kim Avants
Volunteer Coordinator – Ann Stinebaker
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg

THE NEW LINE BAND

Piano/Conductor – Sue Goldford

Bass – Vince Clark
Cello – Daniel Dickson
Violin – Nikki Glenn
Second Keyboard – Joel Hackbarth
Percussion – Clancy Newell

REVIEWS

“Stephen Gregory Smith and Matt Conner breathed new life into the tired zombie trope by going back to the source – George A. Romero's iconic film – and setting it as a hard-as-nails musical. The ensemble cast conjured all the fear and loss bound into the polyphonic songs, but Zachary Allan Farmer and Marcy Wiegert were the twin cores of darkness at the heart of it all. Farmer's heroic Ben, fighting to save everyone trapped in the farmhouse, could neither comfort nor crack Wiegert's Barbra, a near-comatose woman who emerges only sporadically from her stupor to prophesy everyone's doom like a bouffanted Sybil. Director Scott Miller steadily ratcheted the tension, and then broke it all open with the single most harrowing moment to happen onstage in St. Louis this year.” – Paul Friswold, The Riverfront Times

“If you can really stand pure psychological terror, you can proceed west for the stunning power of Night of the Living Dead. . . It is, in fact, a play that had me looking over my shoulder for the rest of the night. The performances are so powerful, and so insistently based on maintaining an everyday frame of reference (in spite of an 'epidemic of murder' outside), that you carry the dread of it with you after the show, all the way to bedtime. Scott Miller: musical theater director and master of suspense. Who knew? . . . But this show is more emotionally focused than No Exit, being all about that horrible, frozen moment, that deer-in-the-headlights sense of panic, telescoped to utterly take over these peoples' lives. And let me tell you, it's nearly unbearable. Thank God it's only 90 minutes long, at least for you and me.” – Richard Green, TalkinBroadway

“One of the most frightening evenings ever at a musical. . . Most of the pre-show talk with other audience members was whether we’d need plastic sheets for the splattering blood, but instead you had to get your mind wrapped around the terror of the unknown and unexpected as this amazing story unfolds in terrifying and compelling fashion. With the unusually beautiful score and the power of these fine actor/singers, Night Of The Living Dead is one musical you don’t want to miss. Evidently this is only the second production of the show nationally but, like so many other Scott Miller productions, news of this one should spread fast and it could become the new cult favorite.” – Steve Allen, Stagedoor St. Louis

“New Line’s take is intense, creepy and full of slow-building tension. . . The show is unlike anything I have seen in musical theater. Writers Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith have found a way to translate the classic horror story into music and lyrics that are just as terrifying and suspenseful as the original film. . . For fans of musical theater, this is a show that you have never seen before. And although it is a musical, the subject matter is just as serious as the film it comes from. For fans of Romero’s work, you’ve never seen it like this – and it’s a must see. Expect to feel the tension and hopelessness fly off of the stage and into the seats, and hold on until morning.” – Kevin Brackett, ReviewSTL

“A sense of dread permeates New Line Theatre's Night of the Living Dead from the very beginning, a chilling and haunting work in both expected and unexpected ways. This is the stuff nightmares are made of – a serious musical adaptation of a landmark horror film that still resonates today. I've seen the original movie countless times and yet I jumped and screamed, such is the intensity of this live theatrical production. What happens is familiar, but the fact that Scott Miller's shrewdly directed piece would pack such a powerful punch is testament to the strong ensemble who plunge us down the rabbit hole with them. Miller never resorts to cheap tricks, and the us. vs. them tension builds, almost unbearably at times, as the zombie apocalypse takes place outside the barricaded doors. . . In this Night of the Living Dead world, the terror is real, not manufactured or phony, for it is not aliens or chemically-altered monsters they are trying to survive – it is the human race.” – Lynn Venhaus, Belleville News-Democrat

“A+. I was captivated mere seconds into the production and by the time the cast took their bows I was out of breath.” – Jeff Ritter, The Trades

“A must-see for fans of daring musical theatre. . . All of the cast acquit themselves well vocally, and their intensity helps to maintain the suspense and tension of this entertaining and harrowing piece. . . New Line Theatre's production of Night of the Living Dead is a real winner, especially for those who like their horror without a constant barrage of one-liners.” – Chris Gibson, BroadwayWorld

“This is no spoof, nor is it merely an homage; if you let it, it will lead you to think. . . The music—and this superbly strong cast—lift the piece into quite a different realm. . . By approaching these rather two-dimensional characters with such deep seriousness the cast leads us to consider some thoughts that make this show more than just a zombie thriller.” – Steve Callahan, KDHX-FM

“It’s a straightforward, dramatic musical that relies not on blood or guts, but on the notion that the boogeyman is actually coming in from the dark. You’re not paranoid if they’re really out to get you. . . All the familiar New Line trappings are in full force: A strong cast singing the dickens out of a complicated score, a creative set, a tight and talented New Line band, plus the usual rock-solid staging by Scott Miller. . . With Night of the Living Dead, no blood and guts are necessary. Just bring your imagination.” – Christopher Reilly, Alive Magazine

“A taut, intriguing production. . . In gritty, sobering fashion director Miller guides his players across Romero’s harrowing landscape as interpreted by Conner and Smith with intriguing and satisfying results. . . Absorbing food for thought, with a hearty portion of goosebumps on the side.” – Mark Bretz, Ladue News

“Like those old black-and-white horror films, Night of the Living Dead does more than scare – it will give you a chill. Bolstered by a score full of tight harmonies, surprising melodies, and a solid cast and crew, this regional premiere makes for another must see.” – Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob

“It’s not a gory show at all. In fact, we never even see the ‘others,’ the rampaging zombies outside. But it’s a nightmare. Zombies start as regular people. In this world, whom can you trust? The survivors who take shelter in an abandoned house have nothing in common except, they’re still human. Can that be enough?” – Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“In the hands of New Line’s excellent cast and creative team, it’s a thoroughly compelling and riveting production. . . Yes, I was terrified, but that’s the point of a show like this, and wow, was it done right! I was literally shaking in my seat, and the sense of terror was palpable in the audience. This is an old-fashioned suspense thriller in the very best sense. Kudos to New Line for scaring me out of my wits and showing me that a horror show well done can be an evening well spent.” -- Snoop's Theatre Thoughts (St. Louis blogger)

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Jason Zinoman writes in his great book Shock Value, “Night of the Living Dead did for horror what the Sex Pistols did for punk.”

Even though this musical is pretty faithful to its source film, the show’s writers have reimagined this iconic story for the musical stage. They have translated George Romero's storytelling devices into the language of the musical theatre.

The result is a really original piece of theatre, unlike any other show, in its music, its lyrics, and its pacing. These aren't conventional musical theatre lyrics – they're sometimes as fragmented as the mind of the character who's singing, they often don't rhyme, and since this is a thriller, most of the songs often don't have a conventional “button” at the end to cue applause, and that builds tension.

What I've always loved about zombie movies is that the zombies serve as metaphor. Romero has made a zombie movie each decade, starting in 1968, and each film comments insightfully on the American zeitgeist, just as this new adaptation does. As Adam Lowenstein says in the documentary The American Nightmare, “The apocalypse isn't now. The apocalypse is always.”

More than anything, Night of the Living Dead and its sequels remind us of that famous line from the political comic strip Pogo: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The film and our show ask a pointed question: Who are the real monsters here?

Kim Paffenroth writes in his book Gospel of the Living Dead, “Zombie movies imagine a scenario far worse than nuclear war or a cabal of vampires taking over the world: they present us with a world in which humans and monsters become very hard to distinguish, and therefore the moral rules that guide our dealings with other humans – it is better to suffer injustice than to commit it, thou shalt not kill, love they neighbor, turn the other cheek – are discarded as irrelevant and unfeasible. . . The horrific nature of zombies and, many would say, terrorists, is that they may force us to act as barbarically and impetuously as they do. . . Zombies dehumanize humans by eliminating their chance to experience normal feelings of grief, mortality, or sacredness, and forcing them to substitute callous, unthinking, reflexive violence.”

Zombies act as a Rorschach test. As we all do with classic fairy tales, we take from zombie movies (and zombie musicals!) what we need. The zombies represent different threats to different people, depending on what scares them most. In the documentary Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue, George Romero says, “Zombies to me could be any natural disaster. They could be anything. My stories are about the people that deal with it, don't deal with it, deal with it improperly, deal with it stupidly. The stories are about how people screw up.”

This isn't a show about falling in love or finding your path in life or making a place for yourself. This is a show about surviving till morning. There are no love songs here. No dancing. And definitely no dancing zombies!

This is a thriller.

They're coming to get you, Barbra...

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.