Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, the 1996 musical created by late costume designer-playwright Crabtree and Mark Waldrop, will now begin performances Off-Broadway October 11 at Stage 42.
Originally scheduled for an October 6 debut, the delay is to complete necessary production elements. Ticket buyers for canceled performances should return to point of purchase for refunds.
The revue, which features music by the late Dick Gallagher, was praised for its wit and irreverent humor as it skewered gay culture and American politics in the late 1990s—including references to Newt Gingrich and legislation that proposed curtailing gay rights.
The humor carried over into Crabtree’s outlandish and dazzling costume designs; he was called a “mad genius” in a rave review in the New York Times. Crabtree died of AIDS days after completing work on the original designs for When Pigs Fly.
Iconic Hollywood fashion designer Bob Mackie will create the all-new designs for the Off-Broadway revival that will officially open October 30.
Waldrop, who wrote the show’s book and lyrics, will direct the revival, which will have choreography by Denis Jones. Joshua Goodman produces.
The cast will feature Jordan Ahnquist (Shear Madness), Taylor Crousure (Forbidden Broadway: Comes Out Swinging!), Jacob Hoffman (I’ll Be Damned), Brian Charles Rooney (Bedbugs!!!), and Frank Viveros (25th Anniversary The Phantom of the Opera national tour). Cameron Mitchell Bell and Paul Sabala complete the cast and will cover all roles.
When Pigs Fly tells the story of Howard, who “struggles to put on a lavish musical revue over numerous obstacles, including the near-mutiny of his cast, and the nagging memory of his high school guidance counselor, who told him he’d succeed ‘when pigs fly.’ Just when it seems all is lost, Howard realizes the problem isn’t that he’s gone too far—it's that he hasn’t gone far enough. The show goes on, and all of Howard’s fabulously sequined dreams come true.”
The original production won the Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Revue), the Outer Critics Circle Award (Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, Outstanding Costume Design), and a special citation for Howard Crabtree and the creative team from the OBIE Awards. The original ran for two years and played 840 performances at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre.
The design team includes Adam Koch (scenic design), Julie Duro (lighting design), Ian Wehrle (sound design), Joe McFate (associate costume design), Ed Goldschneider (music director), Binder Casting Jay Binder/Jack Bowdan/Justin Bohon (casting), Perry Street Theatricals (general management), and Luke Anderson (production stage manager).
For more information, visit WhenPigsFlyMusical.com.
