Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

I saw the Beck Center for the Arts' production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson tonight.  It's an amazing historical punk rock musical detailing the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

Now, you might think to yourself, "How the heck do you put punk rock and a Victorian era presidential story together in a musical?"  The answer: a large dose of anachronism.  Jackson's rise to the presidency is portrayed as a celebrity's ascent to stardom.  We see Jackson's orphaning as a young child, driving him to become a ruthless military leader, eventual President of the United States, and originator of the Democratic Party.  You have to see it to believe it.

The production makes it work.  I love the period costumes mixed with modern day punk clothing.  The language is mostly modern day English, with a heavy peppering of current day swear words.  Also, Jackson appears to be a blood fetishist who has a penchant for cutting himself when distressed.  However, the show emphasizes that it's just a metaphor.  Aside from translating the events into a vernacular type of situation, the play is historically accurate.  Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is funny, dramatic, and it seriously rocks.

In the Next Room, or the vibrator play

We went to see In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, tonight.  It was the first play I have seen done by the Cleveland Playhouse since they relocated to the newly remodeled Allen Theatre's Second Stage at Playhouse Square. The space was amazing!   The stage was surrounded by audience seating on three sides in a stadium configuration.

I was actually surprised by the content of the play.  I was expecting a straight out comedy with lots of sexual humor.  Although there was some of that, mostly, it was a show about frustrations in relationships.  The setting is the Victorian Era, in the household of the doctor who invented the vibrator.  The device in question is a medical treatment for "hysteria," and it serves at a catalyst for the main characters to reevaluate their relationships. 

The play is surprisingly poignant.  It touches on the topics of martial frustration, heartbreak, infertility, and infant death.  I can understand why it was nominated for three Tony Awards.  Also, I was not expecting the male nudity.  It was tasteful, but unexpected.   The web page does warn about it though.  The costumes were amazing!