Eastland: A New Musical at The Lookingglass Theatre Company

In Press Room

By MUSECNN | Press Room

25 June 2012

Photo courtesy Lookingglass Theatre Company

ne of the worst disasters in Chicago’s history is the subject matter for Eastland: A New Musical opening at The Lookingglass Theatre Company this June.  The day is July 25,1915: the S.S. Eastland sits on the Chicago River between Clark St. and LaSalle, overflowing with passengers.  Slowly the boat leans to port — and keeps leaning, until finally it tips and comes to rest on its side.  By day’s end, hundreds will perish, whole families will vanish, and unexpected heroes will emerge.  Unforgettable melodies and haunting harmonies inspired by early American folk music weave a tapestry of working class stories and colorful characters, giving voice to the victims and heroes of that fateful day.

Artistic Director Andrew White (Of One Blood, 1984) resurrects the ghosts of America’s forgotten tragedy in this Lookingglass Original musical, with music by Artistic Associate Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, the team behind the score of Lookingglass Alice, 1984, Metamorphoses, Hard Times, and The Secret in the Wings, as well as the acclaimed Winesburg, Ohio. Directed by Amanda Dehnert (Peter Pan: A Play).  The musical is inspired in part by Jay Bonansinga’s The Sinking of the Eastland: America’s Forgotten Tragedy.

Production photos by Photos by Sean Williams

The cast, whom double as the orchestra as they play period appropriate instruments, includes:  Erik Hellman, Christine Mary Dunford, Jeanne T. Arrigo, Michael Barrow Smith, Lawrence E. DiStasi, Doug Hara, Derek Hasenstab, Scott Stangland, Tiffany Topol, Claire Wellin, and Monica West included in the cast is the Musical Director, Malcolm Ruhl.  Other members of the creative team include lighting designer, Christine A. Binder, scenic designer, Dan Ostling, and costume designer by Mara Blumenfield.

Eastland: A New Musical is the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award.  Works premiered at Lookingglass have been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C. and St. Louis.

Lookingglass Theatre Company is located inside Chicago’s Water Tower Water Works at 821 N. Michigan Avenue at Pearson.  Lookingglass was the recipient of the 2011 Best Regional Theatre Tony Award.  For more information and tickets, call (312) 337-0665 or visit LookingGlassTheatre.org.

Eastland: A New Musical opened June 16th and runs through July 29th.