Hostage Song
;)
Bound and blindfolded in a war-torn country, two hostages take refuge in music, memory and each other in this new indie-rock musical. (More on the official site.)
Details
Stories and Book by Clay McLeod Chapman
Music and Lyrics by Kyle Jarrow
Directed by Oliver Butler
With Paul Thureen, Hanna Cheek, Hannah Bos, Abe Goldfarb and Clay McLeod Chapman
Music performed by Kyle Jarrow, Drew St. Aubin, Paul Bates and Jonathan Sherrill
Stage Manager: Amy Ehrenberg
Lighting Design by Mike Riggs
Set Design by Amanda Rehbein
Costume Design by Sean Tribble
Publicity: Emily Owens
Cover Photography: Jeffrey Weiss
Graphic Design: Paul Thureen
Production Photography: Samantha Marble
History
Presented by Horse Trade in association with The Thursday Problem at the Kraine Theater
April 3-26, 2008
Press
Time Out New York article about Hostage Song.
Reviews
"A devastatingly poignant, strangely philosophical meditation on salvation that just happens to sport a sick downbeat."
- Helen Shaw, Time Out New York
"What a thrilling show... Clay McLeod Chapman’s often chilling book explores the hostage situation from various perspectives... Avoiding both sentimentality and politics, the piece finds tremendous power in the raw psychological horror of waiting for death as you endure fear and try to connect with your fellow human."
- David Cote, Time Out New York
"A high-decibel romantic comedy with a seriously unnerving edge... Chapman's delicately rendered scenes flow effortlessly into Jarrow's songs, which are outgrowths of the character's fantasies. The show isn't solemn - it actually rocks - but it isn't in bad taste either. Instead, it brings a punk aesthetic to a common dilemma: the desire to connect with the most horrific stories of the day."
- The New Yorker
"In a season of unlikely musicals, on Broadway and off, Hostage Song may be the oddest of all. Mr. Jarrow's songs are catchy, straight-up melodic rock with a strong beat... fantasy is transformed into emotionally sustaining reality."
- Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
"It's touching, funny, gripping, and ultimately, yes, transcendent theater."
- Jon Sobel, Blogcritics.org
"Hostage Song is strong stuff that must be seen to be appreciated."
- Backstage
