The Wild Party

Manhattan Theatre Club

Queenie and her lover Burrs live in a decadent style. At one of their parties, with eccentric and egocentric friends, more tumultuous goings-on than planned occur.
Role
Burrs (Original)
Year
2000 (Off-Broadway)

Synopsis

Set in the roaring 1920s, The Wild Party follows Queenie, a dazzling vaudeville performer, and her lover Burrs, a violent clown whose charm has curdled into cruelty. In a bid to revive their fading relationship, the pair throw a decadent party in their Manhattan apartment. As the night unfolds and the liquor flows, the guests — an assortment of eccentric show-folk, lovers and drifters — descend into a haze of jealousy, seduction and chaos. When Queenie meets the mysterious and gentle Mr Black, tensions erupt into a tragic confrontation that ends the night in bloodshed. Andrew Lippa’s electric score blends jazz, gospel, and contemporary pop to capture the reckless energy of the Jazz Age while exploring darker themes of desire, addiction and self-destruction.

 

Reviews

“The Wild Party may not be the perfect musical we’ve all been looking for but it’s great fun to watch and puts enough talent on display to have warranted a longer run than it will have.”
CurtainUp

More info sources