Davis, Pill, Sanders, Parker and More Set for Waterwell's The/King/Operetta Benefit

By Andrew Gans
19 Mar 2008

The entire score of The/King/Operetta — including more than 30 pop, rock, folk and funk songs — will be presented April 7 at Joe's Pub to benefit Waterwell, the "anarchic New York theatre troupe."

The company's third annual benefit will feature Eisa Davis (Passing Strange) as Coretta Scott King, Alison Pill (Lieutenant of Inishmore, reasons to be pretty) as Joan Didion, Jay O. Sanders (Stuff Happens) as Lyndon B. Johnson, John Eric Parker (Rent) as Huey P. Newton, Taylor Mac (The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac) as J. Edgar Hoover, Sarah Saltzberg (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as Toni Fortuna and The Apple Sisters as the Hula Hana Girls with Waterwell ensemble members Rodney Gardiner, Arian Moayed, Hanna Cheek and Kevin Townley.

Created by Waterwell and directed by Tom Ridgely, The/King/Operetta was seen in July 2007 as part of a musical summer at the Barrow Street Theatre.

Hanna Cheek and Kevin Townley will host the upcoming evening, which will feature a tribute to Anne Mollegen Smith.

The benefit will begin at 8 PM with an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a silent auction, followed by the 9:30 PM performance and a post-performance party with the artists.

The/King/Operetta, according to press notes, "draws on speeches, writings and interviews to give a blistering account of King as he barnstorms the country squaring off against the most powerful forces in politics and commerce. Facing criticism on all sides and even doubts from his closest advisors, he speaks his mind fearlessly and fights to the end against war, poverty and even his own government."

Waterwell is "dedicated to the collaborative creation of new works for the theatre. . . . For each venture the actors, writers, directors, composers, musicians and designers work collectively to build the piece from the ground up." Past productions include Marco Millions (based on lies), The Persians…a comedy about war with five songs, Sweetness & Light and Fuenteovejuna.

Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street.

For more information visit www.waterwell.org.