CATCO presents The Last Smoker In America starting Sept. 29
By Kylie Reynolds
Images from the New York Musical Theatre workshop production.
Despite Columbus’ thriving art scene, it’s rare that the capital city hosts a world premiere before the art-mecca that is New York City. Yet, that is exactly the case for CATCO’s first show of the fall season, The Last Smoker in America. After debuting in Columbus, the show will pack up and continue as an off-Broadway musical in New York City.
With book and lyrics by Tony nominee Bill Russell, music by Drama Desk nominee Peter Melnick and direction by Hair producer Andy Sandberg, this “original, raucous, irreverent” musical comedy, running from Sep. 29 to Oct. 24, is sure to be a hit.
Comprised of an all-New York, four-character cast, The Last Smoker in America details the life of one family in a future America, where smoking has been outlawed. Pam, a habitual smoker, must deal with her aspiring rock star husband, her wannabe rapper son, an intruding neighbor and a living situation that’s making it harder to light up as each day passes.
“It is a story about an America in which smoking has not just been banned, but it has become illegal. They progressively make it punishable by going to prison for a year, 20 years and then life. And then they move on to cookies,” CATCO artistic director Steven Anderson says, laughing.
“It’s really a metaphor for how we want to legislate each other’s lives to ad nauseam,” Anderson adds.
The Last Smoker in America will be at the Riffe Center, Studio One. Tickets go on sale Aug. 19 and are $11.50-$40 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster outlets and www.catcoistheatre.org
This one-act musical comedy with a live rock band is the first show to be performed since the merger of CATCO and The Phoenix Theatre for Children. Anderson says the decision to do the show was partially based in the desire to communicate that they are doing things differently than either company did before.
“CATCO was not traditionally a place that did musicals. We are not doing all musicals, but this is a departure from what you might have expected to see at CATCO,” he says. “It is a risk on our part.” And while it may be risky, Anderson says this is the show to “take a chance on,” with its offbeat humor perfect for fans of Saturday Night Live and South Park.
Pam's Husband wants to be a rock star more than anything else
Based on the success of The Last Smoker in America, the show may become a model for future projects, which will allow Columbus to become a breeding ground for new, edgy material.
“It is kind of an exciting opportunity for us to become an incubator for new work. Often when we talk about new work, we are thinking about something that is very esoteric and highly arty—this is highly entertaining,” Anderson says. “The purpose of this show is to have fun.”
Pam's wannabe rapper son