To leave America for NYC. But if it tours I might have to take an evening to go see it.
At long last, we’re getting an Ayn Rand musical
Why did this take so long? There’s an all-singing, all-dancing Ayn Rand off-Broadway production coming to New York in May. The Anthem is inspired by Rand’s novella “Anthem,” set in a world where individuality is illegal. Including the cowboy from the Village People!
The Anthem starts performances on May 20 at the Lynn Redgrave Theater, with the show officially opening on May 29. And according to Theatermania, the play features “a book by Gary Morgenstein, music by Jonnie Rockwell, and lyrics by Erik Ransom. Rachel Klein helms a cast that stars Jason Gotay (Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark), Remy Zaken (Spring Awakening), and Randy Jones (The Village People).”
I have a sneaking suspicion I won’t like it, but it’s like my mom used to say with Brussel Sprouts and Fried Chicken Hearts, “you won’t know you don’t like them unless you try them”.
I’ll be $25 that this musical is Orwellian, and inverts every idea of Rand’s. An additional $25 that the spokesman on TV claims to be “surprised” at the criticisms, and refuses to engage in any honest public debate about the issues raised in the musical (never mind the book).
Honestly, I think “Anthem” would’ve been a better choice to put on the silver screen -or even the small screen- than “Atlas Shrugged”. Blah, blah, blah “Who is John Galt?” blah, blah, blah magnum opus. ‘Anthem’ is shorter, sweeter, to the point, whereas ‘Atlas’ is an epic you can literally use to beat someone over the head with as well as figuratively. And the protagonists of both stories; I think it’s easier for most people to sympathize with the protagonist in ‘Anthem’ rather than ‘Atlas’, since more people can sympathize with a downtrodden individual coming up with a good idea to help society being shunned by the ruling class, rather than a business owner protecting investments.