Theater Review: Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson

Photo Credit Joan Marcus

It’s Bloody, Bloody Funny and Quite Contemporary
By Lauren Yarger
An emo musical about the seventh president of the United States, particularly titled Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, just didn’t reach out and make me want to see it, but it is one of those pleasant surprises I’m treated to in the theater from time to time: the show I thought I would hate but ended up enjoying.

Benjamin Walker is the energetic Andrew who rises from backwoods farmer to president of the US – all in 90 minutes and with the help of some rocking tunes and witty lyrics by Michael Friedman played by a four-person band on stage (Justin Levine, musical director). The ensemble cast, directed by Alex Timbers, who also wrote the book, play various parts as the life of Andrew Jackson takes stage, narrated to some degree by a wheelchair-bound Storyteller (Colleen Werthmann), though I must admit that the significance of the wheelchair was lost on me.

Jackson marries Rachel (Maria Elena Ramirez), despite the fact that she’s still technically married to someone else, then sets out on his goal to wipe out all of the Native Americans whose land he can’t steal with treaties. When he’s not hating “Indians,” he’s hating the British, the Spanish and Washington’s aristocrats and things get very bloody. It’s sarcastic and crude, and definitely not politically correct, but it is very funny.

The parallels between Jackson’s policies concerning pluralism and making decisions for the people who aren’t smart enough to know what’s good and criticisms of the present administration in the White House are really too numerous to believe.

He’s the people’s president, bringing equality for all, Jackson tells us, and promises a transparent government. He won’t let the people stop him from doing what he knows the people really want him to do, so he’s going to do it and he won’t let little things like the Supreme Court or his cabinet get in the way. It’s a good thing we have him to make important decisions, he assures us, especially about how to secure the borders…

“Wall Street will destroy the nation!” Jackson also warns us.

I found myself guffawing out loud throughout the savvy show and got the main theme: politics haven’t changed all that much in the last 200 years or so.

Donyale Werle’s set that looks like a tag sale explosion with presidential portraits lining the walls out into the house is lighted, often in dark red hues by Justin Townsend. Danny Mefford’s choreography (tightly done with a large cast on a small stage) lends to the energy of the show and Emily Rebholz expertly combines period and modern to costume the cast.

Rounding out the ensemble are River Aguirre, James Barry, Michael Crane, Michael Dunn, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Kate Cullen Roberts, Ben Steinfeld and Emily Young.

It’s a bloody, bloody funny time.

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson has been extended through June 27 at the Public Theatre, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC. For tickets, call 212-967-7555.

Christians might also like to know:
• Language
• God’s name taken in vain
• Homosexual topics
• Homosexual activity
• Sexual activity
• Blood
• Sexual dialogue