Written by Jason Craig with music by 2009 Larson Award winner Dave Malloy, Beowulf will officially open April 5 and run through April 18. Rod Hipskind directs.
Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage, according to press notes, "combines Weillian cabaret, '40s jazz harmony, indie rock, electronica and Romantic lieder into a new musical voice, allowing the original epic poem and the language of modern musical theater a uniquely outrageous platform on which to unite."
The cast will feature Banana Bag & Bodice company members Jason Craig and Jessica Jelliffe as well as Bay Area actors Chris Kuckenbaker, Anna Ishida, Shaye Troha and Beth Wilmurt. The band, led by composer Dave Malloy on piano/accordion, also includes Benjamin Geller on viola, Mario Maggio on bass clarinet/clarinet, Jen Baker and Andy Strain on trombones, Andre Nigoghossian on guitar/saw, Ezra Gale on bass and Daniel Bruno on percussion.
The production also features set design by Banana Bag & Bodice; original costume design by Kaibrina Sky Buck, with additional costumes by SF Buffoons; lighting design by Miranda Hardy; and sound design by Brendan West. Cat Coffey is the stage manager.
The Abrons Arts Center is located in Manhattan at 566 Grand Street at Pitt). Tickets, priced $20-$25, are available by calling (866) 811-4111 or by visiting www.beowulfnyc.com.