Theatre review: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Ah, Andrew Jackson. Our seventh president and the star of the first High School Musical.

While you probably never pictured Andrew Jackson as a singing, dancing emo maverick, you probably never thought of populism as hot and sexy, either. In Les Freres Corbusier’s latest production, now playing at the Public (for only $10!), you can see both.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, while packed with enough history to be an erstwhile history lesson, is more akin to Spring Awakening. The songs are raw and fierce (“Why wouldn’t you go out with me in high school?”), the characters throb with adolescent angst, and Andrew Jackson is, oddly, a natural choice for the play’s star—he was, after all, the country’s first experiment with electing a president based on his charisma and personality, rather than on his ability to lead.

History remains undecided about Jackson—was he a great military leader and uniter? He brought modern-day Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama and Florida into the union, more than doubling the size of the US, and rousted British troops permanently from American soil. Or was he an American Hitler? He conquered and killed thousands of Native Americans, and signed the legislation that led to the Trail of Tears—in which the entire remaining Cherokee population east of the Mississippi was forcibly marched into Oklahoma, killing nearly a third along the way. His presidency was the first that championed the common man, and he was the first president not from the political elite. He created the Democratic party, and consolidated presidential power, transforming it into the most powerful branch of government.

Oh, and he was hot and sexy. Played by the equally hot and sexy Benjamin Walker, Jackson is equal parts High School Musical, “Saturday Night Live,” and Animal House. While he’s emo to the core (“emo” being both a rock genre and a lifestyle dedicated to wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve), he’s also insouciant and defiant, taking pleasure in aggravating the Washington fat cats while he courts the populace—while singing and dancing, of course. His Oval Office is decorated with his initials separated by a lightning bolt, in an obvious homage to AC/DC, and at political rallies, his fans hold up signs that say “Jax Rox” (in sparkles) and “EMOcracy.” Need I say more?

Les Freres Corbusier is known for their insouciant productions, including an adaptation of Hedda Gabler involving robots. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson does not disappoint—the ensemble is one of the finest in New York right now, and they’re all as happily hormonal and outré as Jackson himself. Look for finely caricatured performances of James Monroe (Ben Steinfeld), Henry Clay (Bryce Pinkham), Martin Van Buren (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe), John Quincy Adams (Jeff Hiller) and John Calhoun (Darren Goldstein). A delightfully cluttered set by Donyale Werle and extremely loud guitar (Justin Levine) and drums (Kevin Garcia) complete the party atmosphere.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is the most fun I’ve had at a play this year, and at $10, is the best bargain in town. If only all our presidents could be as entertaining.


Written and directed by Alex Timbers
Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman
With David Axelrod, James Barry, Darren Goldstein, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Lisa Joyce, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Bryce Pinkham, Maria Elena Ramirez, Kate Cullen Roberts, Ben Steinfield, Benjamin Walker and Colleen Werthmann
Set Design: Donyale Werle
Lighting Design: Justin Townsend
Sound Design: Bart Fasbender
Costume Design: Emily Rebholz
Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission
A collaboration between Center Theatre Group and the Public Theatre in association with Les Freres Corbusier, at The Public Theatre; 425 Lafayette Street, 212-967-7555
Tickets $10
Tuesday at 7 pm; Wednesday through Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sunday at 2 pm and 7 pm
May 5 – 24, 2009