Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Maybe I’m just miffed that I didn’t get to see the much-​hyped Walker play Jackson. They didn’t even really tell us, a little slip of paper fell out of my Playbill at the end of the show. Things just seemed a little off that night, like the timing and the cues. But other than that, this show has great potential. The villanous Clay, Adams, and Calhoun were a hoot, and undeniably the high point of the show. If the show could keep up the energy that was displayed in their opening song and the villain intro, this review would be 5 stars.

History just got all sexypants.
That’s the tagline for Broadway’s Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and it couldn’t possibly be more fitting. I surprised one of my ladyfriends with orchestra tickets to BBAJ and, to be honest, was a little apprehensive about how much I was going to enjoy the show.
Never doubt scandalous presidents in tight pants. BBAJ was AWESOME. The actors were spot-​on (not to mention dreeeamy!). The songs were hilarious. The beats were super catchy. There was the perfect blend of historic fact and stretching the truth, with a little bit of modern humor thrown in. And, best of all, the set design was TO DIE FOR. Even if the show totally sucked, I’d still have to fork over a bunch of stars for the perfect set design. The theater had the feel of a Williamsburg hipster bar, but with a red-​infused classy indie rocker cowboy twist. Brilliant.
If this show ever makes another run, don’t miss it!

I really wish that our experience was as good as the other musicals we saw that weekend, but the show seemed like a college or high school production and included too much pandering and just odd comments that masqueraded as possible jokes. No one in my group enjoyed it. The set and theatre was awesome, lots of lights, and a (fake) horse hanging from the ceiling. Spend your money elsewhere.

I love tight pants.
And I kind of want to decorate my apartment like the theater.
Took my folks and they loved it. We laughed about it for days. Great show with really great humor. And tight pants.

From the moment that Benjamin Walker as Andrew Jackson looks down from the apron and says to the audience collectively, «You’re good lookin’. I’m gonna put it in you,» it’s obvious that «Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson» is not your (fore)father’s musical. Or history lesson. What follows is 90 minutes of emo music, low-​brow humor, and enough twisted history to satisfy any follower of national issues, whether 19^th Century or 21^st.
Because, as «Bloody Bloody» makes delightfully clear, not much ever changes. Politicians still pander to voters while campaigning, then arrive in Washington to struggle with issues far more gray than black or white (in the case of Jackson, this was «the Indian problem».) Politics of Personal Destruction was played as artfully in the 1800s as today. And as to the perception of Washington insiders as effete elitists, well, let’s just say that «Bloody Bloody’s» introduction of Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams and John Calhoun as something out of «Zoolander» comprises one of the finest moments on Broadway in quite some time.
«Bloody Bloody’s» Off-​Broadway roots are clearly visible in a good way. While its off-​color language and rough-​hewn humor may be off-​putting to some, its downtown vocalizations are a refreshing break from the American Idol-​style song belting that has overrun Broadway stages. In an attempt to retain the intimacy of a smaller house, the stage design extends into the orchestra seats, with musty portraits lining the walls and pseudo 19^th Century bric-​à-​brac strewn about. Combined with creative house lighting, the effect is largely successful. Be sure to take the time to examine this ephemera, there are some surprises about.
It’s not often that a new show so thoroughly American and so thoroughly entertaining makes it to Broadway. Given that we’re going through an era when Broadway success increasingly depends upon the casting of a big-​name television star in a central role, there’s no saying how long the «Bloody Bloody» run will be. So go see it now. And you, too, can join in the fun. «Populism, Yea Yea».

When you enter the theatre, the terrific set and lighting of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson will get you thinking that you’re in for something special. Then the cast opens their mouths, and you realize you’re not.
If you spend a lot of time in rock clubs listening to your friends’ bands, BBAJ will be a worthwhile upgrade. On the other hand, it should be, now that it’s moved to a Broadway venue with ticket prices to match.
But if you’ve ever seen good musical theatre, BBAJ will come across as what it is: a very mediocre musical packaged in an extra-​large helping of hype.
The cast is good-​looking — that is undeniable. And past that, some flaws I can forgive. The vocal work, a little shaky. The onstage band, very shaky.
What I can’t forgive is the book and the music. The book adopts a sassy, juvenile tone right away and doesn’t let up for the whole show. It makes gestures toward moments of true emotion or humor without actually being emotional or humorous. It ends up feeling like the same scene played over and over.
As for the music — this is possibly the most musically malnourished show I’ve ever seen on Broadway. Look, it’s a musical, you expect songs, musical numbers, that kind of thing. But in BBAJ, actors talk and talk and you think «oh, this scene is about to turn into a song» and then it doesn’t and then it’s just more talk and talk. Structurally, it feels more like a play that’s had some songs shoehorned in rather than a true musical.
And the songs themselves just aren’t that great. The cast is energetic, for sure. And good-​looking, I think I mentioned that. But the songwriting is lazy, never really deciding whether to embrace the rock idiom or the show-​tunes idiom. One or the other would’ve been fine, but neither is not.
I wanted BBAJ to be good, really I did. I like rock musicals and I’m sad to watch them get displaced by jukebox musicals (see, e.g., Rock of Ages). But BBAJ doesn’t make a compelling case for the genre. Or your money.

I saw this show twice. I wanted to wait until I saw it the second time so that I can formulate my opinion on the show. One word: guyliner.
It’s a very fun time at the theater. However, it isn’t something you should bring your parents, your grandparents, or your little siblings to. It’s dirty and offensive with a touch of history lesson.

Take a history lesson and add beautiful people and whip-​smart writing. Liberally apply sex appeal and a frontier– rock aesthetic. Let the hilarity ensue.
This just may be best theater experience I’ve had. Go for the rock– punk music. Go for the over-​the top humor. Go for the emo guys in eyeliner and tight tight jeans (which is in fact, a line that is part of the opening monologue), and for the girls in daisy dukes and gingham corsets.
I will say that some of the vocal talent is a bit raw, and that actually works better for the rock-​inspired performance; but that’s a personal preference.
Um… did I mention the tight jeans?