T. CHARLES ERICKSON
Will Connolly, left, and George Salazar in Two River Theater’s 2015 production of “Be More Chill.”
Two River Theater will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the world premiere of the musical “Be More Chill” with concerts, July 24-25 at 8 p.m., featuring many of its cast members, including Will Connolly, George Salazar, Eric William Morris, Gerard Canonico, Katlyn Carlson, Lauren Marcus, Will Roland and Jason SweetTooth Williams.
“Be More Chill,” featuring music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz, was commissioned by Two River Theater. After its 2015 premiere there, it ran on Broadway in 2019, receiving a Tony nomination for Best Original Score. It’s a high-school comedy with a sci-fi twist, as a misfit teen stumbles upon a new kind of pill that magically solves some of his problems, but also creates other ones. Check out my 2015 review HERE.
PHOTOS BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON
Will Connolly, left, and Eric William Morris in Two River Theater’s 2015 production of “Be More Chill.”
Tickets will go on sale May 20 at noon; visit tworivertheater.org.
“Be More Chill” is “a show that changed my life in countless ways,” said Iconis, in a press release. “I don’t know where I’d be had Two River not taken a chance on me many years ago and I am so thrilled to celebrate ten years of this misfit musical on the stage where it was first performed. My collaborators and I cannot wait to spend a few days in glorious Red Bank partying with the fans who have supported us on this journey and looking toward the future. There’s never been a better time to be a loser.”
In addition to the concerts, the theater will host a free conversation with Iconis and some of the actors, hosted by Two River artistic director Justin Waldman, July 23 at 8 p.m.
Iconis’ other works include “Love in Hate Nation,” which was produced at Two River Theater in 2019.
Tracz also did the book for “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” and wrote or co-write seven episodes of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” the Lemony Snicket series that Netflix launched in 2017.
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