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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical
Joe Iconis, who wrote the music and lyrics and collaborated with Gregory S. Moss on the book, has described this work as a labor of love. His program notes detail his visit to Thompson's Colorado home and praise how scenic designer Wilson Chin has recreated the house's interior on the MAX stage with exacting detail (including posters and other artworks, taxidermied deer heads, American flags, and several clocks). The only difference may be the presence of conductor/pianist Rick Edinger and four other high-powered musicians in the room and appearing in the "upstairs" space. Eric William Morris plays Thompson from his teens through his death at age 67, a man driven by a need to succeed and a tendency to go to extremes in achieving his goals. (As a young man, he types out the text of "The Great Gatsby" as a way to feel that he could be capable of writing such a meaningful work.) The meta level of storytelling incorporates interactions between adult Hunter and his younger self (Giovanny Diaz de Leon) and a running commentary from Hunter's greatest target, Richard M. Nixon (George Abud). In keeping with the anarchic spirit of Thompson's work, the musical moves from one point to another without much transition. It touches on his brief, youthful days at Time magazine and moves on to his formative experience covering the Kentucky Derby, to his meetings with illustrator Ralph Steadman (Jason SweetTooth Williams) and a man who calls himself the Brown Buffalo (George Salazar), and to his meeting 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern in a men's room during the Democratic National Convention. Darlesia Cearcy lights up the stage as Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner. Director Christopher Ashley, who worked on an earlier production at the La Jolla Playhouse, keeps the action pulsating throughout, with innovative choreography and musical staging by Jon Rua that incorporates puppets, props, and apparent hallucinations. The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical runs through July 13, 2025, at Signature Theatre, MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington VA. For tickets and information, please call 703-820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org. Music and lyrics by Joe Iconis Cast: |
