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Rock & Roll Man Tickets

Rock & Roll Man Tickets

New York
2 Jun 2023 - 3 Sep 2023
Discover the man who took a chance on the biggest hits in rock and roll history.

Rock & Roll Man Information

Discover the untold story behind one of rock and roll's most trailblazing figures in this new Off-Broadway musical packed with iconic rock hits. Get Rock & Roll Man tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

The Rock & Roll Man musical centers on Alan Freed, one of the most prominent radio DJs of the 1950s. Rock fans today may not know his name — although he's a Hollywood Walk of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee — but they likely know the artists whose careers he launched by playing their songs: Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire," Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," and Nina Simone's “I Put A Spell On You,” to name just a few.

He was the first white DJ to play music by Black artists on mainstream radio, and he furthered the careers of both white and Black artists by promoting their concerts, finding them national audiences, and allowing them to perform alongside each other for the first time.

Financial scandal led to the swift end of Freed's career in the 1960s, and Rock & Roll Man covers his highs, lows, and everything in between. In a dream during the last day of Freed's life, J. Edgar Hoover, Little Richard, and various other figures stage a courtroom battle over how Freed's legacy should be remembered.

Rock & Roll Man premiered in Massachusetts in 2019, winning the Broadway World Berkshires Award for Best Musical. The show features original songs by Gary Kupper alongside a host of historic rock hits that Freed popularized, allowing audiences to enjoy something new while letting them rock out to all their favorite oldies.

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Opening date

June 2nd, 2023

Closing date

September 3rd, 2023

Categories

Musicals

Venue

New World Stages

Age

7+

Cast and creative

By: Gary Kupper, Larry Marshak, Rose Caiola
Songs by: Various artists including Little Richard, Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins; original songs by Gary Kupper
Director: Randall Myler
Choreographer: Stephanie Klemons
Cast list: Constantine Maroulis (as Alan Freed), Joe Pantoliano (as Morris Levy/Leo Mintz), Bob Ari (as Hoover), Rodrick Covington (as Little Richard), Valisia Lekae (as LaVern Baker), Jamonte D. Bruten, Andy Christopher, AJ Davis, Autumn Guzzardi, Anna Hertel, Matthew Morgan, Dominque Scott, Eric B. Turner
Design: Timothy R. Mackabee
Costumes: Leon Dobkowski
Lighting: Matthew Richards and Aja M. Jackson
Sound: Ed Chapman
Other info: Projection design by Christopher Ash, musical direction by Dave Keyes, music supervision and arrangements by Keyes and Gary Kupper, orchestrations and dance arrangements by Kenny Seymour

Latest Rock & Roll Man News & Features

They're ready to rock! Complete casting has been set for the Off-Broadway premiere of Rock & Roll Man, a new musical by Gary Kupper, Larry Marshak, and Rose Caiola. Performances begin at New World Stages on June 2 ahead of a June 21 opening night. Rock & Roll Man tells the story of Alan Freed, the radio DJ who coined the term "rock 'n' roll" and became the first white DJ to play and promote music by Black and white artists in the mainstream, launching many careers. The show takes place on the...

UPDATE: Joe Pantoliano, an Emmy Award winner for The Sopranos, joins the cast as nightclub owner Morris Levy and record executive Leo Mintz. Great balls of fire! A new musical about the life and career of Alan Freed will premiere off Broadway this summer. The show, titled Rock & Roll Man, begins performances on June 2 ahead of a June 21 opening night at New World Stages. Freed was a 20th-century disc jockey who became the first DJ to play music by Black artists on white-dominated radio...