The Old Man and the Old Moon is an American “play with music” written by PigPen Theatre Company. The play follows the Old Man, who is in charge of filling the Moon with light. After his wife is drawn away by a mysterious melody, he goes out on a sea faring adventure looking for her. The play first premiered Off-Broadway in 2012 and a revised version in 2014 at the New Victory Theater.[1]
| The Old Man and the Old Moon | |
|---|---|
| Written by | PigPen Theatre Co. |
| Music by | PigPen Theatre Co. |
| Lyrics by | PigPen Theatre Co. |
| [ Official site] | |
Musical numbers
edit- “Song from the Stone” — Singer and Company
- “The Rain Will Fall” — Company
- “The Sailor’s Anthem” — Sailors
- "The Rain Will Fall (Reprise)" - Company
- “Sail for Love” — Captain and Sailors
- “Sail for Love (Reprise) — Sailors
- “Just Like the Sea” — Old Man and Company
- “Prison Fish Interlude #1” — Ghost Singer
- “Prison Fish Interlude #2” — Ghost Singer
- “Prison Fish Interlude #3” — Ghost Singer and Company
- “I Crash” — Singer, Matheson, and Company
- “Bremen” — Old Man and Company
Critical response
edit2012 Off-Broadway premiere
editKen Jarowski at The New York Times writes about how the play inspires “giddy feelings” and cannot be summed up into words.[2]
Scott Brown, the theatre critic at Vulture, wrote:[3]
The Old Man is an all-ages journey into the frontiers of undiluted imagination, where tweeness isn’t transcended so much as spun into gold. And if the whole doesn’t really go anywhere, well, that’s entirely beside the point. It’s how you get there, after all. That’s what puts this show — and its thrillingly talented creators — on the map.
2014 Revised Production
editBen Brantley, the chief theatre critic for The New York Times in 2014, wrote about how the new production, “ has since undergone a makeover of sorts, shedding some weight and smoothing some calluses… But it retains the illusion of a willfully unwieldy beast, which is essential to its appeal.” [4]
References
edit- ^ Hetrick, Adam (26 April 2018). "PigPen Theatre's The Old Man and The Old Moon Released for Licensing". Playbill. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Jaworowski, Ken (9 October 2012). "Heeding the Siren Call of a Magical Song". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Brown, Scott (12 October 2012). "The Stage Dive Weekend Roundup: Harper Regan and The Old Man and the Old Moon". Vulture. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (30 September 2014). "Forsaking an Orb to Pursue the Light of His Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.