Off-Broadway's Silence! The Musical Reopens at Elektra Theatre July 18; Randy Harrison Joins Cast

By Andrew Gans
18 Jul 2012

Jenn Harris and David Garrison
Jenn Harris and David Garrison
Photo by Carol Rosegg

Silence! The Musical, winner of the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, reopens at the new Elektra Theatre July 18. The production also welcomes Randy Harrison, who played Justin Taylor in all five seasons of Showtime's "Queer As Folk," to the cast.

The musical — billed as the "unauthorized parody of 'The Silence of the Lambs'" — officially opened July 9, 2011, at Off-Broadway's Theater 80. It later transferred to PS122 for an open-ended run, officially opening Nov. 15, 2011. Performances continued at PS122 through July 15.

Harrison, who has been seen on Broadway in Wicked, steps into the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s nemesis, Dr. Chilton. He joins a cast that includes David Garrison (Hannibal Lecter), Jenn Harris (Clarice Starling) and Stephen Bienskie (Buffalo Bill) with Ashlee Dupré, Howard Kaye, Nick McGough, Topher Nuccio, Pamela Bob and Doug Trapp. Kimberly Stern joins the cast as plus-size victim Catherine Martin.

Silence! features a book by Hunter Bell, music and lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan and direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli.

"In the Academy Award-winning film 'The Silence of the Lambs,'" press notes state, "rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling matches wits with the brilliant but insane cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to catch the serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill. Clarice faces her own demons while racing the clock to unlock Lecter's clues before another innocent girl is killed and skinned by Buffalo Bill. The laugh-out-loud wicked satire, Silence! The Musical, features a singing chorus of floppy eared lambs narrating the action as Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown while kidnapping hapless Catherine Martin. Even Dr. Lecter, scary as ever, sings about the life he'd like to lead someday outside the prison walls."

Music supervisor is Mark Hartman, with orchestrations by Brian J. Nash.

Silence! is produced Off-Broadway by Theater Mogul.

The playing schedule at the Elektra Theatre (673 Eighth Avenue at 42nd Street) is Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 and 7 PM.

Tickets are  available by calling (212) 352-3101 or through SilenceTheMusical.com.