HERE I SIT
BROKENHEARTED
A Bathroom Odyssey
Books and Lyrics by SETH PANITCH
Original Music
composed by R. JOHNSON HALL
Vocal Arrangements/Orchestrations by RAPHAEL
CRYSTAL
The Celebrants
IAN ANDERSON, MATT LEWIS, SETH PANITCH
and CHIP PERSONS
Director: SETH PANITCH
General Manager: DOMINIC M.
YEAGER
Co-Director/Stage Manager: TOM ALSIP
Choreographer: TARA LYNN
STEELE
Costume Designer: TIFFANY YEAGER
Scenic/Lighting Designer: MIKE
MORIN
The Scat Pack
Conductor/Piano: RAPHAEL CRYSTAL
Reeds: MARY HALES, NICHOLAS BOYD
Trumpet: DAVID MYERS
Bass: STEPHEN WALCH,
MARY HALE
Drums: JOE BERRY
Recording: LYNDELL McDONALD
Editing: JOE
BERRY
Beckett Theatre @ Theater Row
410
West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
www.telecharge.com
or (212) 239-6200
June 22 – July 10; Opening Night – 06/26/2016
Seth Panitch’s HERE I SIT BROKENHEARTED takes place in a multi-stall men’s room (clever scenic design by Mike Morin) and explores man’s attempts at communication in his most sacred of spaces. Drawings of boobs, penises, and the ever-present Kilroy proudly take their places among scrawls of profanity, poetry, and prophecy. Why this phenomenon of bathroom communiqués takes place remains unexplained for the most part, but The Celebrants (Panitch, Ian Anderson, Matt Lewis and Chip Persons) give it their best in trying to solve the mystery. With creatively clumsy choreography by Tara Lynn Steele and original music by R. Johnson Hall, they sing and dance their ways through political correctness, transgenderism, giant condoms, penis sizes, and all the other insecurities that plague the male gender. And there are some downright hilarious numbers set to the music of The Andy Griffith Show and “Let’s Stay Together,” as well as a rap song and a Casablanca scene.
HERE I SIT BROKENHEARTED brings to life the bathroom walls of men’s rooms everywhere. This is an amusing endeavor surprisingly done tastefully considering the topic. An inside peek for females and a familiar haven for males, there is plenty of laughter to go around. Enjoy!
- Laurie Lawson -