Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
| Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Music | Michael Friedman |
| Lyrics | Michael Friedman |
| Book | Alex Timbers |
| Productions | 2008 Los Angeles 2009 Off-Broadway Concert 2010 Off-Broadway 2010 Broadway |
| Awards | 2010 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical 2010 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical |
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a musical with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman, and a book by its director Alex Timbers.[1]
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The show is an irreverent wild west, rock musical about the founding of the modern Democratic Party. It redefines Andrew Jackson, America's 7th President, as an 'emo' rock star and focuses on populism, the Indian Removal Act, and his relationship with his wife Rachel.
Production history
- World premiere
Developed by New York-based experimental company Les Freres Corbusier, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson had workshop productions in August 2006 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and in May 2007 at the New 42nd Street Studios, New York. It premiered in January 2008 in Los Angeles at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, produced by Center Theatre Group. The cast included Sebastian Arcelus, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Kevin Del Aguila, Darren Goldstein, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Adam O'Byrne, Maria Elena Ramirez, Kate Roberts, Jeanine Serralles, Ben Steinfeld, Robbie Sublett, Ian Unterman, and Ben Walker. Robert Brill was the set designer, Jeff Croiter the lighting designer, Emily Rebholz the costume designer, Bart Fasbender the sound designer, and Jacob Pinholster the video designer. Kelly Devine was the choreographer and Gabriel Kahane the music director.[2][1]
- New York premiere
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opened in May 2009 at the Public Theater in New York in a concert version, and returned to run from March 23 (previews) to June 27, 2010.[3] The cast included David Axelrod, James Barry, Darren Goldstein, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Lisa Joyce, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Bryce Pinkham, Maria Elena Ramirez, Kate Roberts, Ben Steinfeld, Ben Walker, and Colleen Werthmann. Scenic design was by Donyale Werle, lighting design by Justin Townsend, costume design by Emily Rebholz, and sound design by Bart Fasbender. Danny Mefford was the choreographer and Justin Levine was the music director.[4][5][6]
- Broadway Premiere
The show premiered on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, with previews starting on September 21, 2010 and opening night October 13, 2010. Many of the cast from the off-Broadway production reprised their roles, including Benjamin Walker in the title role, Maria Elena Ramirez, Jeff Hiller and Lucas Near-Verbrugghe.[7]
Musical numbers
- Populism, Yea, Yea!
- I’m Not That Guy
- Illness As Metaphor
- I’m So That Guy
- Ten Little Indians
- The Corrupt Bargain
- Rock Star
- The Great Compromise
- Public Life
- Crisis Averted
- The Saddest Song
- Second Nature
- The Hunters of Kentucky
Reception
New York Daily News: “Bloody entertaining!”[8]
The New Yorker: “Giddy with intelligence… a smart, vulgar, comic-book romp through history.“
- New York Times: "Delightful… Poised between deadpan wonder and frat-house humor...Bloody may be a hoot, but it’s also a primal holler."[5]
- Curtain Up: "The most fun I've had at a play this year!"[9]
Backstage: "A silly-smart entertainment that feels like a fifth-grade pageant hatched under the tutelage of The Harvard Lampoon and composed by Spinal Tap."[10]
New York Post: “Bloody good! Anarchic joy and cross-cultural mayhem… Offers a coherent view of the way American politics cranks out leaders who are as charismatic as they are opportunistic.”[11]
Bloomberg: “Rough, raucous, and raunchy! A wholly iconoclastic burlesque with emo rock music and humor that goes for the jugular.”
Variety: “Down at the Public, this hot little show is putting on one hell of a wake for a fallen hero”
Theatermania: “Remarkably inventive and often hilarious… A dizzying post-modern approach to American history."[12]
- TalkinBroadway.com: "Librettist-director Timbers is the artistic director of Les Freres Corbusier and Michael Friedman is the house composer of The Civilians, and the uniting of these two downtown titans on a project of this audacity is a match made in theatre utopia. Timbers’s knack for rampantly visionary entertainment and Friedman’s grip on pungent social commentary combine to make something deeper, richer, and hotter than either has previously devised alone, all within a searing context that commands your attention and demands your assent to its absurdities."[13]
Awards and nominations
- 2010 Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical (winner, tie)[14]
- 2010 Outstanding Music (nomination)
- 2010 Outstanding Book of a Musical (winner)
References
- ^ a b " 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' production history" lesfreres.org, retrieved August 20, 2010
- ^ " 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' listing Center Theatre Group, retrieved August 20, 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, 2010 publictheater.org, retrieved March 12, 2010
- ^ a b Brantley, Ben.Theater Review:'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson'The New York Times, May 18, 2009
- ^ Hetrick, Adam.Emo Rock Musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Opens at the Public Theater April 6" playbill.com, April 6, 2010
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Broadway Run of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Will Include Original Cast Members" playbill.com, August 20, 2010
- ^ [2] The New York Daily News
- ^ Sandman, Jenny."A CurtainUp Review:'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson'" curtainup.com, May 17, 2009
- ^ Sheward, David." 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' reviewBackstage, April 6, 2009
- ^ Vincentelli, Elizabeth."Old Hickory is action Jackson" The New York Post, April 7, 2009
- ^ Lipton, Brian Scott."Review:'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' " theatermania.com, April 7, 2009
- ^ Murray, Matthew."'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson' Review" talkinbroadway.com, May 17, 2009
- ^ Gans, Andrew."Memphis, La Cage, Zeta-Jones, Finneran and More Are Outer Critics Circle Award Winners" playbill.com, May 17, 2010
- ^ Gans, Andrew."Red, Memphis, Bridge, Fences and La Cage Win Drama Desk Awards" playbill.com, May 23, 2010