'The Banger's Flopera - A Musical Perversion,' at the Village Theatre

Inverse Theater Company presents The Banger's Flopera - A Musical Perversion, An update (or 'perversion') of the infamous Beggar�s Opera, as part of the NY International Fringe Festival from the 14 - 27 Aug 2005 at the Village Theater.

The Banger's Flopera is an update (or �perversion�) of the infamous Beggar�s Opera (the 18th century play which is also the source for Brecht�s The Threepenny Opera). Where the original featured a cast of beggars, hookers and crooks, this new version features 'gangstaz, pornstaz, and popstaz,' depicting the many ways in which our captivatingly corrupt culture idolizes and gives political influence to its own destructive elements.

With a 16 song score, in styles ranging from rock and rap to torch songs and psychedelic power ballads, The Banger's Flopera offers a full rock musical experience along with a script deeply steeped in 'sex, thugs, and rock-n-roll.' True to its source in its ghetto and sleaze themes, it stars the infamous Mac the Knife, who in this version is morphed into a professional pornographer and consummate New York Gangsta, as he cheats, robs and murders his way to the electric chair, only to be pardoned last minute by a criminal-friendly President.

The Banger's Flopera has book and lyrics by Kirk Wood Bromley and music by John Gideon.

The cast is directed by Ben Yalom, and features Joe Pindelski, April Vidal, Anni Bruno, Dan Renkin, Dalane Mason, Brian Kelly, Catherine McNelis, Kelly Spitko, Randall Middleton, Chris McCutchen, Timothy McCown Reynolds, Bob Laine, Hank Wagner, Sarah Engelke, John McConnel, Lydia Burns and Josh Hartung.

The show has Set design by Jane Stein, costume design by Karen Flood and lighting design by Jeff Nash.

Biography:

Kirk Wood Bromley (Book and lyrics) is a NYC-based playwright, actor, theater writer, musician and Artistic Director of Inverse Theater Company. His plays have been produced in New York, Los Angeles, London, San Francisco, Cleveland and various college campuses around the country. Inverse Theater, the company he founded, won Best Downtown Theater in the New York Press in 2001. Bromley was the recipient of the 2001 Berrilla Kerr Foundation Playwrights Award and his plays won two Fringe Awards � Excellence in Playwrighting ('The American Revolution', 2002) and Excellence in Music and Lyrics ('Lost', 2003).

Composer John Gideon has worked as a musician in over 30 musicals including national Broadway tours, as well as performing at such venues as Joe�s Pub, The Knitting Factory, and The Bitter End.

Ben Yalom (Director) is the Artistic Director of foolsFURY, an ensemble based experimental theater company in San Francisco. He recently directed Naomi Newman�s one-woman show 'Fall Down Get Up' for A Traveling Jewish Theater and a New York tour and has worked and trained with Anne Bogart and SITI Company.