Audiences and critics are raving about CTC’s production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!

Holly Quinn for Delaware Arts Info writes “funny, entertaining, thought-provoking and utterly disturbing
easily the coolest stage setup I’ve seen in Delaware
Jolly is sexy and cool.”

Read the full review here

http://www.deartsinfo.com/2012/04/ctc-rocks-bloody-bloody-andrew-jackson.html?spref=fb

Delaware First Media’s Pam George popped by rehearsal to check out the scene. See the article below, and check out the video interviews with Director Michael Gray, Music Director Joe Trainor, and actors Righteous Jolly and Kerry Kristine McElrone.

http://www.delawarefirst.org/25592-bloody-bloody-andrew-jackson/

The News Journal’s Margie Fishman chatted with Director Michael Gray and Music Director Joe Trainor for this preview piece.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120423/LIFE/204230303

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REGIONAL PREMIERE! Rock out like the 99% at Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson this spring. Runs April 27 through May 12 at CTC.

Tickets are available NOW at www.city-theater.org

For Immediate Release: March 12, 2012

Media Contact: Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Arts in Media LLC, 302-377-3156 or mfitzgerald@artsinmedia.com

Get ready to get schooled! City Theater Company closes out their eighteenth season with the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the daring rock musical that Rolling Stone called “the season’s best.” With music and lyrics by Michael Friedman and a book by Alex Timbers, it’s a raucous ride through an American past that seems awfully familiar to modern citizens. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley opined that it “feels unconditionally (and alarmingly) of the moment. The show’s theme song? An angry little number called ‘Populism Yea Yea’ in which the chorus roars, ‘And we’re gonna take this country back for people like us, who just don’t think about things.’” Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson takes its audience on a historically inaccurate, cross-country joyride from the Wild West to Washington politics, wherein Old Hickory is reinvented as a rock god hell-bent on creating a government for the people, by the people. It doesn’t quite work out.

It’s a perfect fit for Delaware’s Off-Broadway, says Producing Artistic Director Michael Gray. CTC’s production is set in a steam punk-inspired saloon, with the entire Black Box space being utilized so the audience is immersed in all the loud, irreverent action. Gray jumped at the opportunity to be one of the first outside the Broadway stage to present Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: “I saw the show last year and liked it a lot. How could you not like an emo-punk musical about the first Democratic president? Knowing that it was a transfer from a much smaller theater at the Public, I knew it would be a great choice for our space and our actors.”

Music Director Joe Trainor, the high-energy force behind CTC’s Barrymore Award-winner Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Rocky Horror Show, and BatBoy: The Musical agrees with Gray. “I’m psyched to be back at CTC after a six-year break—they do rock musicals in a very cool, aggressive way. And we have an amazing cast and the band to back them up. For me, it’s a perfect fit stylistically.” Trainor recently was named Best Keyboardist by WSTW for his work with his eponymous Trio and other projects.

Gray is similarly stoked to premiere this piece on his stage for DE, PA, MD, and NJ audiences. “This show has everything CTC fans want and everything I enjoy about live performance—that in-your-face energy that just can’t, just won’t, be contained. It’s timely, it’s fun, it’s loud, it’s powerful. And in our Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, no one is safe from the onslaught. It’s the kind of show that really speaks to us.”

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson showcases Righteous Jolly, a rock star in his own right, in the title role. He is supported by the formidable talents of CTC’s Melissa Bernard, Jim Burns, Maggie Cogswell, Dylan Geringer, Kerry Kristine McElrone, Dana Michael, Adam Wahlberg, and newcomers Michael Renn and Frank Schierloh. Set and lighting design are by Vicki Neal and Richard Kendrick. Assistant Director is Kevin Regan.

On April 27, opening night, join us for the official after-party downtown at Chelsea Tavern. Enjoy drink specials and private seating at the local hotspot. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson runs for three weekends, ending Saturday, May 12. One matinee performance is offered on Sunday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. All other shows have 8:00 p.m. curtain times.

TICKET DETAILS: General admission $25. VIP admission $40 and includes choice seating, complimentary snacks/drinks, and CTC swag. All shows at OperaDelaware Studios, 4 S. Poplar Street, on the Wilmington waterfront. Tickets available now at www.city-theater.org. Online ticket sales close at noon daily on show days; cash/check only at door.

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