Inside preparations for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Inside preparations for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
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Before joining the City Theater Company cast of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” Righteous Jolly didn’t know much about America’s seventh president, except for the fact that Jackson appears on the $20 bill. Now, it’s Jolly’s job to bring Jackson to life—in a decidedly modern way.
The rock musical portrays Jackson as a punk rock star and a “cutter,” someone who slices open his skin to relieve emotional pain. And even with all the fake blood—and expect a lot of it—the show is a comedy of sorts.
Why do a show about a lesser-known president? “It’s a cool play hot off the boards of Broadway into our little ‘black box ‘ in Wilmington,” said Michael Gray, producing artistic director of CTC. “No other company in the region will produce this play before we do. In fact, I think we will be the second or third company in the country to produce it following its Broadway run.”
Jackson certainly offers plenty of material. He’s often remembered for violently driving out native populations and taking over territories. He meets wife-to-be Rachel when she nurses him after he’s injured in a bar brawl with Spaniards. “She’s very pious and not glamorous,” said Kerry McElrone, who plays Rachel in “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” “He was a better man for having met her.”
When they married she was not yet properly divorced. Accused of bigamy and vilified when Jackson ran for president, she died shortly after his election. He dedicated his presidency to her, but it was still beset by problems.
- If You Go
- When: April 27-28, May 3-6, and May 10-12.
- Where: City Theater Company, OperaDelaware Studios, 4 S. Poplar St., Wilmington.
- Tickets: $25-40
- For more info: www.city-theater.org
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
“He did some good things, but he did it at a cost,” said music director Joe Trainor, who’s also in the five-piece rock band that’s part of the play. (Jolly, who trained as an actor at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York, is the lead singer of a band in real life.)
At the musical’s end, an old Jackson sits in a wheelchair, receiving an honorary degree from Harvard University. “He gives a monologue, leaving it open as to how history will judge him,” Jolly said.
Designed to educate while entertaining, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is “loud and in your face,” Trainor said. The f-word is not uncommon. If you feel a tad rattled, that’s all good. That means the edgy CTC cast is doing its job and doing it well.