EXCLUSIVE: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson May Rock Broadway

By Adam Hetrick
03 Jun 2010

Benjamin Walker (center) and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson cast members
Benjamin Walker (center) and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson cast members
Photo by Joan Marcus

The Public Theater's critically acclaimed emo rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which amps up the life story of the late U.S. President Andrew Jackson into a tale of celebrity and unbridled power, could bring its teen angst to Broadway.

Jeffrey Richards, who stepped in to bring the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair to Broadway in 2009, has been testing the waters with potential investors to bring Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to Broadway. The musical has already been extended three times Off-Broadway at the Public.

"He's very aggressive in approaching his investor pool," a potential investor told Playbill.com on the condition of anonymity. The source also states that Richards is seeking financing for a Broadway transfer of Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, which begins performances as part of Shakespeare in the Park June 12.

According to a representative at the Public, "The show is definitely ending here on June 27 but given the success of Bloody Bloody (we've extended three times), The Public is exploring all our options for the future life of the show."

Penned by Alex Timbers (book) and the Civilians' Michael Friedman (music and lyrics), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opened at the Public April 6. Timbers directs the production, which premiered at the Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles in 2008 and was later staged in a developmental run as Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Concert Version for the 2009 Public LAB.

The cast of Bloody Bloody features Benjamin Walker as Jackson, with River Aguirre as Lyncoya, James Barry as Male Soloist, Michael Crane as Clay/Blackhawk, Michael Dunn as Calhoun, Greg Hildreth as Red Eagle, Jeff Hiller as John Quincy Adams, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe as Martin Van Buren, Maria Elena Ramirez as Rachel, Kate Cullen Roberts as Elizabeth, Ben Steinfeld as Monroe, Colleen Werthmann as The Storyteller and Emily Young as Female Soloist.