Iron Curtain (musical)
Encyclopedia
Iron Curtain is a comedy musical about the Soviet Union
, with music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Peter Mills, and a book by Susan DiLallo. The musical follows Murray and Howard, an unsuccessful musical writing team, as they attempt to write a great musical. However, all of their ideas are taken. Meanwhile, Nikita Khrushchev
, the Russian Premier, is becoming tired of the horrible musicals being produced by writers in the Soviet Union. He assigns Yevgenyi Onanov to create a propaganda musical, promoting Communism and working for the glory of Russia. However, the musical that Onanov creates, a bad rip-off of "Oklahoma", is terrible. Khrushchev tells Onanov to fix it, or his demise may be imminent. He also assigns Shmearnov to the problem, with the same consequences for failure. The pair kidnaps Murray and Howard to fix the musical. They are brought behind the Iron Curtain
, and they begin work on the musical with the help of a crazy cast of characters.
Other characters include:
The Ensemble portrays the remainder of the small characters, which manages to be a large part of the show.
The musical's off-off broadway premiere featured Marcus Neville* as Howard, Jeff Edgerton* as Murray, and Jessica Grové* as Masha. The rest of the cast included Bethe B. Austin*, Larry Brustofski*, Maria Couch*, Amber Dow*, Dominic Roberts* (replaced David Miller), Dara Seitzman*, Doug Shapiro*, Robby Sharpe*, Rich Silverstein*, Gordon Stanley*, Brad York.
A * indicates a member of the Actors' Equity Association
.
A California production of Iron Curtain is planned to run in April 2008.
Issaquah, WA's Village Theatre
(http://www.villagetheatre.org/) (Main Stage) ran the show as part of their 2010-2011 Main Stage Season, playing from 16 March - 22 May, 2011. Village Theatre's production received rave reviews from sources all over the web and Seattle-area, and was a great success.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, with music by Stephen Weiner, lyrics by Peter Mills, and a book by Susan DiLallo. The musical follows Murray and Howard, an unsuccessful musical writing team, as they attempt to write a great musical. However, all of their ideas are taken. Meanwhile, Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
, the Russian Premier, is becoming tired of the horrible musicals being produced by writers in the Soviet Union. He assigns Yevgenyi Onanov to create a propaganda musical, promoting Communism and working for the glory of Russia. However, the musical that Onanov creates, a bad rip-off of "Oklahoma", is terrible. Khrushchev tells Onanov to fix it, or his demise may be imminent. He also assigns Shmearnov to the problem, with the same consequences for failure. The pair kidnaps Murray and Howard to fix the musical. They are brought behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, and they begin work on the musical with the help of a crazy cast of characters.
Other characters include:
- Shirley Dooley - Howard's not-quite girlfriend, who literally follows him to the ends of the earth.
- Sergei Shmearnov - A overbearing KGB agent with an agenda of his own.
- Yevgenyi Onanov - A Soviet producer working for the ministry of musical persuasion.
- Hildret Heintz - An East German director with a sadistic bend to her.
- Masha Petrovna Haylukmikova - A Russian chorus girl with an eye for Murray.
The Ensemble portrays the remainder of the small characters, which manages to be a large part of the show.
The musical's off-off broadway premiere featured Marcus Neville* as Howard, Jeff Edgerton* as Murray, and Jessica Grové* as Masha. The rest of the cast included Bethe B. Austin*, Larry Brustofski*, Maria Couch*, Amber Dow*, Dominic Roberts* (replaced David Miller), Dara Seitzman*, Doug Shapiro*, Robby Sharpe*, Rich Silverstein*, Gordon Stanley*, Brad York.
A * indicates a member of the Actors' Equity Association
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
.
A California production of Iron Curtain is planned to run in April 2008.
Issaquah, WA's Village Theatre
Village Theatre
Village Theatre is a 5013 non-profit professional producing musical theatre company founded in 1979. Village Theatre is based out of Issaquah and Everett, Washington, both near Seattle...
(http://www.villagetheatre.org/) (Main Stage) ran the show as part of their 2010-2011 Main Stage Season, playing from 16 March - 22 May, 2011. Village Theatre's production received rave reviews from sources all over the web and Seattle-area, and was a great success.
External links
- Iron Curtain Review from Off Broadway
- Iron Curtain Review from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Village Theatre, Issaquah, WA http://www.villagetheatre.org/. For site of Village Theatre's production of the show, visit http://www.villagetheatre.org/iron_curtain.php