Team StarKid has announced its newest Chicago production, HOLY
MUSICAL B@MAN!, an original musical comedy parody from the creative team behind A VERY POTTER MUSICAL, which featured music and lyrics by GLEE's Darren Criss, and STARSHIP. Holy Musical B@man! will be presented at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted, Chicago, for four performances only, March 22-25, 2012. A special weekend of preview performances will run March 16-18, 2012. The limited run of live performances will be offered free of charge for all audiences, with a YouTube release slated for April 2012.
This superhero-send up features a book by Matt Lang and Nick Lang, original music and lyrics by Nick Gage, with additional music by Scott Lamps.
Holy Musical B@man! features the world's most beloved superheroes and be-loathed villains in a way they were never meant to be seen - singing and dancing! After witnessing the murder of his parents, a young billionaire makes a solemn vow to dress up like a bat and wage a oneman war on crime! But when this solitary savior realizes that "one" is the loneliest number to wage a war with, he'll set out on a musical adventure to rescue the city - and find a super friend.
The world premiere production of Holy Musical B@man! is written and directed by Matt Lang and Nick Lang, co-writers and directors of StarKid's A Very Potter Musical & Sequel, Me and My Dick, and Starship, and recipients of last season's BroadwayWorld Chicago Award for "Best New Work" (2011) for Starship.
Holy Musical B@man! features original music and lyrics by Chicago composer and StarKid newcomer Nick Gage, with additional music by Scott Lamps. Combining the styles of rock, soul, psychedelic folk, and pop, Gage has produced multiple independent albums including: The Dude, Winnebago, and Songs I Made for Friends. His work as a songwriter was featured on the soundtrack for the 2008 independent film The Beckoning of Lovely. In addition to his work as a writer, director and actor in Chicago's annual musical, Denis & Stas: Christmas Fantastic, Gage's songs have accompanied the stories of Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Both Gage and writing partner Scott Lamps are graduates of the University of Wisconsin.
Lamps, a former student of Richard Davis, Leslie Thimmig and Stephen Dembski, spent four years as contributing songwriter, producer and music director of The Profits, selling more than 10,000 albums and winning four MAMA Awards including "Best Overall Artist" (2005). Lamps' collection of piano sonatas Evensong was honored with two MAMA Awards including "Best Classical Album" (2010). Holy Musical B@man! is his sixth work for musical theatre. Previous theatre works include Evolution/Creation (2010), produced by the Quest Theatre Ensemble (nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Citations including "Best New Work" and "Best Production, Musical"). Lamps recently composed the songs and underscore for the film Kindred, which was awarded "Best Documentary Short" at the 2011 Illinois International Film Festival. The film will appear on Illinois Public Television this spring.
Holy Musical B@man! boasts a cast of StarKid veterans including: Julia Albain ("Crabbe" and Various Characters - A Very Potter Musical and Sequel, "Specs" - Starship); Chris Allen ("Duder Reese" - Little White Lie); Jamie Lyn Beatty ("Ginny Weasley" - A Very Potter Musical, "Rita Skeeter" - A Very Potter Sequel, "Sally" - Me and My Dick, "Veeto Mosquito" - Starship); Denise Donovan ("February" - Starship); Brian Holden ("Remus Lupin" - A Very Potter Sequel, "Flopsy" - Me and My Dick, "Junior" - Starship); Nick Lang (Various Characters - A Very Potter Sequel, Starship); Lauren Lopez ("Draco Malfoy" - A Very Potter -more-Musical and Sequel, "Taz/Bugette" - Starship); Jim Povolo ("Goyle" and Various Characters - A Very Potter Musical and Sequel, "The Overqueen" - Starship); Dylan Saunders ("Dumbledore" - A Very Potter Musical and Sequel, "Tootsie/Pincer" -Starship); Meredith Stepien ("Mega-Girl" - Starship); Nicholas Strauss ("Old Snatch" - Me and My Dick, "Sirius Black" - A Very Potter Sequel); and Joseph Walker ("Lord Voldemort" - A Very Potter Musical, "Dolores Umbridge" - A Very Potter Sequel, "Dick" - Me and My Dick, "Up" - Starship). The
cast also includes two new additions to the StarKid Acting Company: Nico Ager and Jeff Blim.
