BE MORE CHILL
A NEW MUSICAL WITH MUSIC AND LYRICS BY JOE ICONIS
BOOK BY JOE TRACZ, BASED ON THE NOVEL BY NED VIZZINI
DIRECTED BY STEPHEN BRACKETT
ORCHESTRATIONS BY CHARLIE ROSEN
MUSIC DIRECTION BY NATHAN DAME
CHOREOGRAPHY BY CHASE BROCK
WHEN: Saturday, May 30 - Sunday, June 21, 2015
WHERE: Two River Theater Company, 21 Bridge Ave., Red Bank
TICKETS: $37 to $65, with discounts available for groups, seniors, and U.S. military personnel, their families, and veterans. A limited number of $20 tickets are available for every performance; $20 tickets may be partial view. Tickets for patrons under 30 are $20 and include the best available seats at every performance.
Be More Chill is supported by lead production sponsor Durso Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley.
Two River Theater commissioned Be More Chill in 2011 and has supported its development through readings, workshops, and artist residencies. The project is the largest musical and one of the most ambitious projects in the theater’s history.
Says Artistic Director John Dias, “I knew the sensibilities of Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz would blend beautifully and they would be the right team to adapt Be More Chill, which combines a cringingly real look at teenage life with techno-fantasy and wry humor. ‘The Joes’ create the perfect mix of emotional honesty and bad-ass cool—so key when writing about the popularity battleground that is an American high school.”
Jeremy Heere (played by Will Connolly, Once) is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about “The Squip” (Eric William Morris, Bloodsong of Love by Joe Iconis)—a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine (Stephanie Hsu, Winners), an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk?
The company of Be More Chill will also feature Jake Boyd (Rock of Ages) as Jake, Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening) as Rich, Katlyn Carlson (Dirty Dancing) as Chloe, Katie Ladner (Heathers: The Musical) as Jenna Rolan, Lauren Marcus (The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks) as Brooke, George Salazar (Godspell) as Michael, and Paul Whitty (Once) as Jeremy’s Dad.
Inside Two River
Inside Two River is a series of events specially curated for each Two River Theater production. For more information or to reserve seats, patrons should visit tworivertheater.org or call 732.345.1400.
- Be More Chill with The Navesink
Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 PM
Guest Speaker David Orban will speak about technology and humanity in a TEDx-style pre-show talk, which will also feature light fare from Sickles Market. For information, call 732.345.1400 or visit www.tworivertheater.org. - Book Club: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Sunday, June 16 at 5:30 PM in the Victoria Mastrobuono Library (following the 3 PM performance)
We were all teenagers once, and chances are we all remember the moments of awkwardness and pain that are almost unavoidable in that tricky age. Both The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Be More Chill paint portraits of the awkward years that are equal parts hilarious, cringe-worthy, and heartbreaking. Literary Manager Anika Chapin will lead a discussion of the peculiar legacy of the teen years and changes in the portrayal of teens over time.
Audience Extras
- Before Play and Lobby Display
Audiences will learn more about this production in Two River’s Before Play lecture series, which takes place 45 minutes prior to every performance, and Lobby Display. - Post-Play Conversations
Discussions with the cast and a member of Two River’s Artistic staff will take place on Wednesday, June 10 at 7 PM; Sunday, June 14 at 3 PM; and Wednesday, June 17 at 1 PM.
Accessibility
Working with Google, Two River has created and launched a virtual tour of its facility, which lives on Google Maps and tworivertheater.org. This virtual tour provides an additional level of support and benefit for patrons who use wheelchairs or require other assistance by allowing them to virtually come through the theater’s front doors and view the space in detail in advance of their visit.
An ASL sign-interpreted performance is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 at 3 PM; an audio-described performance is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17 at 1 PM; and an open-captioned performance is scheduled for Saturday, June 20 at 3 PM.
Tickets are available at a discounted rate of $25 for patrons using these services. To reserve wheelchair-accessible seating or tickets to a performance listed above, patrons should call 732.345.1400 or e-mail boxoffice@trtc.org.
Be More Chill is supported by lead production sponsor Durso Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley. This work was supported by a Theatre Commissioning and Production Initiative Grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Inside Two River is sponsored by The William T. Morris Foundation. The Before Play series is sponsored by Zager Fuchs, PC.
