Producers of the rock tuner announced last week that plans for an open-ended engagement at the Kraine had been scuttled due to limited space availability at the venue. Attorney for the Damned has played one performance per week since April 28, and producers found the production could not cover its operating costs on such a schedule.
Based on the memoir of lawyer Denis Woychuk, Attorney for the Damned began performances at the Kraine March 13. The musical will have played 20 performances Off-Broadway.
Parties involved with the production said that Attorney may have a future life in a tour or festival staging.
Attorney for the Damned, press notes state, follows "a young, idealistic, woman lawyer named Skyhorse, who works in a big firm but wants to help widows, orphans and the poor. Her boss assigns her, pro bono, to represent two destitute mental patients at the maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. Because she is a conscientious and shrewd lawyer, despite her misgivings, she gets them both off. Their release sets loose a dramatic roller coaster in which one of her clients kidnaps the other characters of the play, to judge them as they judged him, seeing himself as God's avenging angel. Her other client emerges as a hero, sacrificing himself for the good of others and answering the central question of the piece: 'What makes a hero?'"
The cast for Attorney includes Allison Johnson (as Skyhorse), Ray Fisher, Denny Blake, Brian Ferrari, Vadim Newquist, Maria Dalbotten, Teddy Williams and Juliana Smith. The ensemble features Norma Gomez, Amanda Ochoa and Boskim Jeon. With lyrics by Woychuk, Rob McCulloch has composed the musical's rock score that is described as having a hook-filled garage-band rock sound. Staged in the vein of a rock concert by Stephen Vincent Brennan, McCulloch (on guitar) leads an onstage band that also includes Ted Williams (bass guitar), Jamie Morris (drums) and Jesse Lynn and Boskim Jeon (keyboard).
The creative team comprises Gwendolyn E. Witkin (production design), James Proko (lighting design) and Jeaho Lee (costume design).
For further information visit www.attorneyforthedamned-rockmusical.com.
