BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON One Act (90 mins without intermission), Book Musical; Book by Alex Timbers; Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman 2008 Los Angeles: Kirk Douglas Theatre 2009 Off-Broadway Concert: - Shiva Theatre - 5 - 24 May, 2009 (24 Perfs) 2010 Off-Broadway - Public Theatre - March 23 (previews) to June 27, 2010 2010 Broadway - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre - 13 Oct 2010, (previews from 9 Oct 2010) - Closed 2 Jan 2011 SYNOPSIS This is the story of America's first political maverick. A.J. kicked British butt, shafted the Indians and smacked down the Spaniards all in the name of the United States - who cares if he didn't have permission? An exhilarating and white-knuckled look at one of the nation's founding rock stars, the show recreates and reinvents the life of "Old Hickory," from his humble beginnings on the Tennessee frontier to his days as the seventh Commander-in-Chief. It also asks the question, is wanting to have a beer with someone reason enough to elect him? What if he's really, really hot? The show is a comedic Wild West rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party. It redefines Andrew Jackson, America's seventh President, as an Emo rock star and focuses on populism, the Indian Removal Act, and his relationship with his wife Rachel. Story: The show opens when the cast, dressed as 19th century American cowboys and prostitutes take the stage. They are led by Andrew Jackson. They sing about their eagerness to strip the English, Spanish, French, and, most importantly, the Native Americans of their land in the US. Along with this, they sing of the desire to bring political power back to the public and away from the elite ("Populism Yea Yea"). Jackson's childhood is shown in the Tennessee hills during the late 18th century. His family and the local shoe cobbler dies cholera and Indian attacks. This leads him to join the military, where he is imprisoned by the British. Jackson begins to express his disdain for the US government’s lack of involvement with the people of the frontier and how he wishes someone would stand up to them ("I'm Not That Guy"). Jackson is then shown as a young adult, regaling his short meeting with George Washington to local tavern goers. He is interrupted and attacked by several Spaniards. Jackson defeats them, but is injured in the process. A woman named Rachel helps him to recover from his injuries. They fall in love during his recovery and eventually marry, though Rachel is not yet divorced from her current husband. ("Illness as Metaphor") At the end of the song, news comes that British, Indian, and Spanish forces are making advances into American territory. Meanwhile, the US government continues to do nothing to stop the attacks. Jackson realizes that if he wants this cycle to end, he must change things himself ("I'm So That Guy"). Jackson organizes a militia to remove Indian Tribes throughout the Southeast both by force and negotiation ("Ten Little Indians"). John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Martin Van Buren are introduced as they express their concern over Jackson's unauthorized territorial expansion. Jackson rebuffs their pleas, explaining how he has driven out the French and the Spanish while acquiring more land than Thomas Jefferson. The Battle of New Orleans transforms Jackson into a national hero. He becomes governor of Florida and decides to run for President in 1824. Although he receives the most popular and Electoral votes, he is not elected President due to the political maneuvering in the House of Representatives. ("The Corrupt Bargain"). Jackson spends the four years after the election at his home, The Hermitage. He returns from political exile
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