Before Dead Outlaw begins Broadway previews, the musical's company hosted a launch party for friends, family, and fans at New York City's Bowery Ballroom March 26.
David Yazbek emceed the event, which featured performances from the cast including Andrew Durand, Jeb Brown, Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves, Julia Knitel, Ken Marks, Trent Saunders, and Thom Sesma.
See photos from the event in the gallery below.
Dead Outlaw begins performances at the Longacre Theatre April 12, with an April 27 opening night. David Cromer will again direct after staging the musical's Off-Broadway world premiere.
Set to reprise their performances from the Off-Broadway run are Andrew Durand as Elmer McCurdy, Jeb Brown as Band Leader/Jarrett, Eddie Cooper as Coroner Johnson, Dashiell Eaves as Louis/Charles Patterson, Julia Knitel as Helen/Maggie, Ken Marks as George, Trent Saunders as Andy Payne, and Thom Sesma as Coroner Noguchi, with Emily Fink and Max Sangerman as understudies.
Based on a bizarre but somehow completely true story, the musical follows Elmer McCurdy—an ambitious, turn-of-the-20th-century outlaw, whose death ended a life of failed crime and alcoholism and began a brilliant career as a mummified side-show attraction that traveled the USA for decades. The project is the brainchild of Yazbek, who reportedly has been fascinated with the story for three decades.
READ: Dead Outlaw Composer David Yazbek Uses a Dead Body for a Lesson in Living
The musical features a book by Moses (The Band's Visit) and music and lyrics by Yazbek and Della Penna. The work made its world premiere in 2024 at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre via Audible Theater, becoming one of the season's most award-winning musicals. The production won the Drama Desk, Off Broadway Alliance, and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Best New Musical. See what critics had to say about the Off-Broadway run here.
Cromer will lead the Broadway production alongside a creative team that will include choreographer Ani Taj, scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado, costume designer Sarah Laux, lighting designer Heather Gilbert, sound designer Kai Harada, music supervisor Dean Sharenow, music director Rebekah Bruce, with orchestrations by Yazbek, Della Penna, and Dean Sharenow. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting/Peter Van Dam. Cynthia Cahill will serve as production stage manager.
Dead Outlaw is Audible Theater's first-ever commissioned musical, and has been recorded for a global release as an Audible Original. Details of a release for that recording, which reportedly includes the entire show adapted as an audio play, have not yet been made public.
Lia Vollack Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions are producing.
Visit DeadOutlawMusical.com.
