Jerry Springer in NYC - As an Opera

There are some shows that happen and you ask yourself: WHAT? WHY? SOMEONE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS SMART?
The name Jerry Springer can send shock waves through people who recall his TV talk show which many blame as the beginning of the end as far as reality TV...turning real people into stars for fifteen minutes. So 15 years ago when the British writing team of Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee decided to turn his show into an opera, people were stunned. Jerry Springer the Opera went on to win four British Olivier awards (including Best Musical) and ran for two years. 
I'll admit I became a groupie (without ever having seen it) because of one of the show's songs ("I Just Wanna Dance") which became a dance anthem in clubs around the world (placing singer Alison Jiear as a gay man's goddess). Often a show will transfer from London to Broadway, but that didn't happen with this show. Regional theaters in America would produce the show and there was a two night concert at Carnegie Hall 10 years ago, but it never truly found a life in New York City.
Until now.
The New Group Theater company is producing the first off-Broadway run of the show and what a run it is. The show is everything you'd expect from the Springer TV show (cheating spouses, lesbians, KKK, Steve Wilkos the bodyguard!) plus oh so much more. The show is completely sung through (like an opera) except for Jerry Springer himself speaks (played impeccably by Broadway veteran Terrence Mann) and one short speech by the actor playing Steve Wilkos. The juxtaposition of story line/content and way it was chosen to be sung is what makes this show so remarkable. The singing is glorious! The choral arrangements are breath-taking and this cast sounds absolutely amazing on each piece of sung dialogue, aria, or duet.  Terrence Mann has a sparing partner of his audience warm up guy (who becomes Satan in Act 2) in Will Swenson. This man has an incredible range and commits fully to a character who should...well be committed. Actually, the entire cast's commitment to the piece is another extraordinary piece of this puzzle. Every last one of them give 100% even when the entire evening borders on the absurd. I would point out how incredible each cast member is...but it's almost unfair to point anyone out because each voice as as stunning as the next one. However I just want to shout out to Jennifer Allen, Luke Grooms, Nathaniel Hackmann, Justin Keyes, Tiffany Mann and Jill Paice. 

Director John Rando has made great use of the space and completely immersed the audience in the experience.  Chris Bailey's choreography is also on point for this show, this space. I love the live band upstairs, the use of video, and the way the cast runs around changing constantly to become different people.  My one only complaint would be that the words come fast & furious at times and you really need to pay attention to hear them all. 
This show is NOT without controversy which is why I wonder if it will ever land on Broadway. (But hey, Book of Morman survived.) This show is full of obscenities. You laugh, you cringe, you assume it's simply holding up a mirror to the actual guests and audiences on the Jerry Springer show under all of those bleeps. It also goes in hard on religion and has been protested and blacklisted along it's journey the past 15 years. I suppose we'll wait to see how New York reacts to the current incarnation of the show. But if you can handle the language and let go of whatever concept of religion you were brought up with, I say snag a ticket and get to the Pershing Square Signature Center to hear some of the most amazing voices New York has to offer. And you might actually find you crack a smile or two along the way.

I don't usually post anything until a show opens, but I wanted to go ahead and tell people to get tickets now while still in preview. This is a very limited run.