Studio Theatre's first rehearsal events are an opportunity for the full staff, board members, and interested donors and supporters to mingle with the artists of each production as they prepare to head into rehearsal. On March 17th, director David Muse and the creative team of Murder Ballad shared their vision for the play and gave a sneak peek at the immersive production design.
On March 17th, Artistic Director David Muse addressed Studio staff, board members, cast, and crew to mark the First Rehearsal of Murder Ballad. Muse acknowledged the considerable intrigue and air of mystery that has grown around the show: “You’ve been hearing a lot of words,” he said. “Immersive. Liquor license. Cabaret-style. So what is it really? Murder Ballad is a sung-through rock opera, set in a dive bar. It’s sexy, titillating, and tries to capture that sense of living in New York City at a certain moment in your life.”
Murder Ballad follows Sara, a would-be rocker who leaves behind a life in the fast lane with reckless boyfriend, Tom, for the stability and predictability of nice-guy, Michael. Five years and one child later, Sara’s boredom with her cushy life is palpable, leading her to seek out the thrills of her past and invite Tom back into her life. A broken marriage and spurned love leave everyone with a motive for the title crime.
“So what’s a murder ballad?” Muse reflected. “According to Wikipedia,” he explained, “‘murder ballads are a subgenre of the traditional ballad form, the lyrics of which form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath.’” Think of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe” or The Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”—both of which are alluded to in the lyrics of Murder Ballad’s own murder ballad (naturally entitled “Murder Ballad.”) The murder then, is no surprise, but the circumstances of the killing and even the victim remain a mystery. “We don’t know who is killed or who did it until the very end of the play,” Muse teased.
Muse then discussed the innovative production design. “The play calls on us to do some break-the-mold institutional thinking about the audience experience,” Muse said. “It’s a full-on immersive production, so we’re turning Stage 4 into a working bar, integrating the band into the space, and selling drinks,” he enthused. Patrons will be ushered through the alley behind Studio where they will be met with velvet ropes, a bouncer who will check IDs, and finally a theatre turned into a grungy, cluttered bar.
“It’s a dirty good time,” Muse promised. “We’ll get the floor sticky.”
—Jen Gushue
https://issuu.com/839998/docs/murder_ballad_program_for_issuu