Directed by Pat Towne, the production will begin previews at the Open Fist Theatre Sept. 18 with an official opening Sept. 26. The limited engagement will run through Nov. 22.

Joe's Garage was adapted by Pat Towne and Michael Franco and features musical direction by Ross Wright and choreography by Jennifer Lettelleir. Producers are Michael Franco, Charlie Otte and Pat Towne with permission from the Zappa Family Trust.

The musical event, according to press notes, tells "the story of Joe – a simple guitar player in a garage band – as he is drawn into the dark and nightmarish world of the music business. As Joe deteriorates from betrayal, disease, and madness, our narrator, the Central Scrutinizer asserts that music is responsible for his demise, and is therefore evil. [The production] is a cautionary tale about the oppression of government and its desire to make its citizenry conform and obey. It ponders a world where the government controls the masses by making music a crime. Masked in the simplicity of a high school musical, the play's attacks on government's surveillance of its own citizenry, the sexual escapades of the Catholic Church, the ridiculousness of Scientology, the avarice of the music business, self serving journalism, mindless consumerism and bad boy rock and roll behavior in general, makes for a wicked and timely satire – all this wrapped in the brilliant music of legendary rock icon Frank Zappa."

Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM.

The New Open Fist Theatre is located at 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. (former home of The Actor's Gang) in Hollywood, CA. Tickets, priced $15-$30, are available by calling (323) 882-6912 or by visiting www.openfist.org.