Pipeline Theatre Company is set to present the New York premiere of Beardo, a new Russian indie rock musical by Jason Craig (Beowulf – A Thousand years of Baggage) and Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812). The duo is revising the piece for its Off-Broadway debut, directed by Ellie Heyman; it will feature a brand-new character and additional music.
Beardo will begin previews February 3, 2017, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, with an official opening night scheduled for February 12. The limited engagement is scheduled to play through February 26.
The musical features a book and lyrics by Craig and music by Malloy, with a story that chronicles the ascent of Rasputin, the infamous Russian mystic and the subject of much hearsay and legend.
Beardo will star Kenyon Phillips (The Life And Death of Kenyon Phillips) in the title role, Alex Highsmith (Angels in America) as Tsarista, Liz Leimkuhler (If You Wanna See the Devil) as Shack Sister, Brian Bock (Three Sisters) as Yusapoof, Pipeline ensemble member Willy Appleman (Clown Bar) as Tsar, Rolls Andre (CANT) as Shack Man, Shaye Troha (Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage) as Shack Woman, and Ben Langhorst (The Pirate La Dee Da) as Person of the Court.
The show is being staged in an operational church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where the production will make use of the building’s high-arched ceilings, stained glass windows, and fully-functioning pipe organ.
Beardo received its world premiere with The Shotgun Players at The Ashby Stage, Berkeley, CA in 2011. Pipeline Theatre Company met with authors Craig and Malloy in August of this year for a script workshop and will continue to develop the music through the end of the year.
The production will feature music direction by Ian Axness (Clown Bar), set design by Carolyn Mraz (The Hatmaker’s Wife), costume design by Katja Andreiev (The Caucasian Chalk Circle), lighting design by Mary Ellen Stebbins (LongYarn), sound design by Dan Moses Schreier (Broadway’s A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder) and Joshua Reid (Broadway’s American Psycho, Associate Sound Design), props design by Jess Adams (Broadway’s Long Day's Journey Into Night), choreography by the Kuperman Brothers (The Light Princess), and production stage management by Kristy Bodall (Clown Bar).
The band for Beardo includes conductor Sam Kulik (guitar), Blake Allen (viola), Ezra Gale (bass), Sarah Haines (violin), Serena Miller (cello), and Hajnal Pivnick (violin).
Tickets can be purchased at PipelineTheatre.org/tickets. A limited number of pre-sale tickets are now available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and range $20-$55. Regular tickets range $25-$60.
