Rock Musical “The Black Suits” Set For Workshop Production at Barrington Stage [Berkshire on Stage]

Stage musicals continue to evolve, and the inclusion of a rock score is no longer a novelty, but an inevitability, and that’s a good thing. The world has moved far beyond the saccharine sentiments of The Sound of Music, and into the bolder, more contemporary sounds of Spring Awakening, Rent and Urinetown. In Pittsfield, Julianne Boyd artistic director of Barrington Stage Company, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director are in constant motion nurturing (and finding funding for) their Musical Theatre Lab. Each summer, under the artistic direction of Tony winning composer William Finn, they present something new and different. The moment is almost upon us for this year.

The big event this summer is a full scale workshop production of The Black Suits, with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Iconis and Robert Emmett Maddock. Directed by John Simpkins, with musical direction by James Sampliner, The Black Suits will run August 16 through September 2 at BSC’s St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2), located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

Click to read the rest at Berkshire on Stage.