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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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2 hours 20 mins (incl. intermission)
June 2nd, 2023
September 1st, 2023
New World Stages
7+
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
Read our review of Rock and Roll Man, a new musical about the life and career of American disc jockey Alan Freed featuring 1950s hits.
The new musical about pioneering radio DJ Alan Freed features a score of rock hits by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and many more artists.
Constantine Maroulis will star in this show about the life of Alan Freed, a disc jockey who popularized music by Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and more.