Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

by Alex Timbers, Michael Friedman (lyricist)

The libretto of "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson", a comedic Wild West rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party. It redefines Andrew Jackson, America's seventh President, as an emo-punk-rock star and focuses on populism, the Indian Removal Act, and his relationship with his wife Rachel.

Genres: Plays

162 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[JackWilliamRtF · Rating 4 out of 5]

the kind of show that you used to perform because you wanted it to Mean Something but now probably isn't worth more than performing because It's Fun. since the book certainly makes no bones about the fact that when andrew jackson died and went to hell for a lifetime of evil, violent acts, i don't think there should necessarily be any pearl-clutching over the fact that we see him do those evil, violent acts. and furthermore, maybe seeing the cruel indifference represented onstage might cause an audience to sympathize more thoroughly with the american indians brutalized by jackson in his lifetime.
the music obviously bangs, lots of very interesting characters for an actor to sink their teeth into, and the book is dark and funny and, so far, timeless. i am very curious how this will continue to hold up over the rest of my lifetime.

[Joanna Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is nothing short of offensive, unhinged, and indecent. Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman have combined catchy pop-rock music, politics, and satire to tell the history of President Andrew Jackson. It is hilarious, yet it is also an intelligent critique on populism, the polarization of political parties, and racism in the U.S. This musical is certainly flawed and it's no shock that the Native/Indigenous community have understandably expressed discontent with the nature of the show.

If this show is ever revived I hope that Native/Indigenous people are included every step of the way, but especially in the casting and costume design process. I urge Timbers to edit his book in a way that that shows Native people still exist. It was irresponsible of Timbers to rename the real life Native American Black Hawk to "Black Fox" after previews at The Public Theatre went awry. It seemed like a quick fix more than anything else and Black Hawk was revered as a hero among the Native community and he should have been written as such.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson broke boundaries for what a Broadway musical could be and paved the way for historical musicals we see today such as "Hamilton" and "Six".

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s incisive and innovative, daring and damning, funny and chilling. Makes great marriage of form and content, and still unfortunately way too timely. Seems prescient now.

[G. Derek Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a doofy show. The script is pretty funny, but the need to 'mean something' kind of kills it on the back-end. It shoots for the brilliant satire of South Park but falls a bit short. I'll need to hear the music for a final report.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, fun