Traveling home, my flight was delayed more than two hours. Thankfully the pilot told us that we had very strong tailwinds that day so the plane was expected to land faster than usual. That was fortunate because I had a 7:00 curtain at Ars Nova to see Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of The Future. From the plane to the monorail to the train to the cab with enough minutes to spare and grab a bevy before taking my seat. Whew!
First performed in a 2010 concert version during Ars Nova’s ANT Fest, Andrew R. Butler’s musical is now being presented in its world premiere production. Mr. Butler imagines a world 250 years from now. As Rags, he informs us that he has served his time as a prison laborer on Mars and is now back on Earth performing in an undisclosed, underground location. Both Andrew and Rags are singer songwriters. This musical cleverly conjures a future world and the song lyrics reflect on those times. What’s the future like? Here it is filled with outstanding songs expressing themselves amidst a world of love and danger.
Imagine folk music played in a rathskeller where the audience is a diverse mix of humans, synthetics and constructed ones. Through dialogue and song, Rags tells us his personal journey beginning with “Apocalypse in Tennessee.” He is also singing songs of The Future, a band in which he was once a member. The conceit is original, thrilling, topical and timely. Illegals are not allowed to perform so this gathering is quite secretive. The Ars Nova space has been ingeniously designed by Laura Jellinek to create an intimate, underground environment.
All of this would simply be creative and interesting science fiction if the music was not particularly memorable. The tunes are a combination of folk and rock, blues and ballads utilizing a banjo, harmonica, accordion, saxophone, bass, drums and guitars. The lyrics are poetic and deep with truly memorable, occasionally haunting storytelling that demands focused listening. Packed with talented performers, the cast is so committed to this show there is not one second where the futuristic backdrop is winked at or abandoned. As a result, this musical is simply out of this world terrific.
I highly recommend finding a strong tailwind and getting yourself to Ars Nova to see Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of The Future. Mr. Butler has a great voice and quite a few things to say. A mirror into the future and a reflection on our times. Wholly unique and effortlessly satisfying, this new musical is a winner on any theatrical planet.