June 15th, 2012 
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the aptly named rock musical, premiered in Texas last week. The Blue Theatre presents the musical depicting the figurative and literal bloody presidency of Andrew Jackson. The show tracks our seventh president, from childhood to his death in 1845. But despite its historical accuracy, it hardly takes a stuffy straight laced attitude toward the events. The cast of characters include:
Andrew Jackson (David Gallagher): An emo rocker who sees the world’s problems and thinks he has to fix them but goes about it an un-orthodox way
Andrew and Rachel Jackson (photo credit: bluetheatre.org)
Rachel Jackson (Haley Montgomery): Andrew’s (accidentally) bigamist wife who wants to keep AJ home with her and enjoys bloodletting
Storyteller (Rebecca Robinson): A paraplegic intent on revealing Jackson’s good side but pushes him too far in the process
The show commences with a teenage version of Jackson hearing from his dad what shaped his presidency: that the “Indians” were responsible for his mother’s death. Despite the fact that he has a close friend and an adopted orphaned child who are both Native Americans, he continues throughout the show (and history) to attack, kill and evict them from their home, thus earning him the nickname “America’s Hitler.” The writers and actors do not hold back on the criticism of Jackson and our early government as he works to reform the
Cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (photo credit: bluetheatre.org)
political system by creating the Democratic Party. But while the bad side is certainly shown, BBAJ does not portray an uniformly evil president, but a confused man who is trying to do what he thinks is right.
The play is not just a modern interpretation, it is also a musical. The songs made the show come to life and the talent of the cast really presented itself. Some of the best ones included: “I’m So That Guy,” about Jackson taking on the government and Rachel Jackson’s lament “The Great Compromise.” The band is a character in of itself and all members were engaged in the show far more than you typically expect at a musical.
If you only enjoy musicals with a book written during the Golden Age of Hollywood, traditional orchestral solos and angelic archetypal characters then Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is not for you. However, if you are ready to think about, laugh at and be shocked by America’s most controversial president then head down to the Blue Theatre and watch this must-see show.
WHEN: Through July 1st
Thursday – Saturday: 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: 5:00 p.m.
WHERE:
The Blue Theatre
916 Springdale Road
Austin, TX 78702
Ph. 512-684-3220
TICKETS:
$20 plus service fee. Please click here to purchase tickets.
