April 21, 2015

In a punk rock musical very loosely based on the life and times of Andrew Jackson, Drexel’s Co-op Theatre Company presents a raucous re-imagination of the nation’s first popularly elected President. BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON will open in the URBN Annex Black Box Theater (3401 Filbert Street) on May 8^th. Punctuated by edgy bursts of emo rock, the show is an irreverent, historical, and at times dark look at what it takes to be in the public eye, get elected, and manage all that comes after. The show follows Jackson’s childhood through his rise to popularity, his election victory that was stolen by the Washington establishment, and the epic “rock star rebranding” in the media that ultimately lands him in the White House. The New York Times review said, “There’s not a show in town that more astutely reflects the state of this nation than “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” the rowdy political carnival…”

The play was written by Alex Timbers with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, and the Drexel production is directed and choreographed by Nick Anselmo, Theater Program Director. Exploring the founding of the Democratic Party as well as issues such as populism and the Indian Removal Act, it addresses significant questions about how we elect our politicians, what we demand of them and how we assign them blame for following the will of the people. The show is boldly irreverent in dealing with such subjects as the treatment of Native Americans by Andrew Jackson and the American people. The Co-op Theatre company is partnering with Drexel’s Center for Inclusion and Culture for a talkback session following the Thursday, May 14^th performance of the show in order to establish a dialogue around those issues dealt with in the play.

Show times include May 8 through May 16 at 8:00pm, with a matinee on May 10 at 2:00pm. Click here to purchase tickets, which are $5 for Drexel community members, $10 for non-Drexel students and $15 General Admission.