"To do the show, honestly, I really have to look squarely at what is terrifying me right now, and there's plenty to be afraid of, and say, 'okay, let's keep moving, let's love each other anyway, let's love the world anyway and see what happens,'" Abigail said. March 16, 2022, By James Monroe Iglehart unveils the list of nominees for a season cut short due to the pandemic. 'Hundred Days' - the anatomy of a rock opera - SFGATE But as the show picks up momentum, their own music sweeps them into galvanizing eruptions of passion and existential anger. Copyright 2023 DC Theater Arts. Dr. Shaun Rodgers, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Cohen Children's Medical Center part of Northwell Health in New York said his hospital is still seeing an above-average number of brain . September 5, 2021. October 20, 2020. Is it possible to tell the truth kindly? Ms. Bengson said. Abigail and Shaun Bengson are a married composing and performing duo based in NYC and VT who have performed across the country and around the world. There'd be much more unplugging to be done today. By Hundred Days (the title refers to packing a whole lifes experience into that period of time) was performed in an earlier version in January at the Under the Radar Festival of experimental theater. So The Lucky Ones is wounded autobiography veiled in fiction. Like Hundred Days, The Lucky Ones is directed by Anne Kauffman and has a book co-written by the playwright Sarah Gancher, who is the Bengsons neighbor across the hall in Ridgewood, Queens. Staged with resonant economy by the talented Anne Kauffman, with sharp and subtle movement direction by Sonya Tayeh, Hundred Days is cabaret as cri de coeur, and it is advisable to watch it with a handkerchief at the ready. Stephen Mallatratts adaptation of Susan Hill's novel will again play London's Fortune Theatre. Unexplained rise in life-threatening brain infections in children Andrew Gans My Joy is Heavy! But accompanied by a wonderfully droll quartet of singing musicians Colette Alexander, Jo Lampert, Dani Markham and Reggie D. White the Bengsons are stirring, and surprisingly witty, company. From left, Jo Lampert, Ms. Bengson and Mr. Bengson in this poignant 90-minute show at New York Theater Workshop. My Joy Is Heavy! And I really hoped that wasnt so.. | "So at the time, we started writing music as a way to process those feelings and get closer and move through all the fear.". March 12, 2022, By Adina Verson, at center, in The Lucky Ones, which considers the impact of a killing on Ms. Bengsons seemingly idyllic childhood. Part co-authored memoir and part touching voyage into an emotional soundscape, this new work in development is a beautiful testament to the sort of inquires made in tandem by the human mind and spirit. November 21, 2022, By | But open to the possibilities of what will happen - and openness is the vanguard of this duo, who are more honest to their songwriting than many people are to their own selves - they turned on cameras. We wanted to make it really intimate and trying not to replicate the experience of being in a theater with us, but figuring out what would be most enjoyable over this medium.. Then, in one cataclysmic season, it all falls apart, beginning with a killing that might have been prevented if only the parents hadnt been so committed to a you-choose-your-feelings worldview that they dismissed the signs of mental illness in one of the kids. The stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's film returns to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. | Structured as a live concert, with bits of storytelling woven in (the songs are by Abigail Nessen-Bengson and Shaun Bengson, who write and perform under the name The Bengsons, and the book by the . Blocking belongson the stage,not on websites. | Dan Meyer But its what Im trying to do., One of my sisters, she said, Dont let your fear get in the way of the truth of this, Ms. Bengson added. is streaming free on YouTube. La Jolla Playhouse | Sovereignty Hymns | La Jolla Playhouse May 25, 2022, By At other times, particularly toward the end, the Bengsons fully embody the roles of Will and Sarah, bringing the whole emotional impact of their musical performance, presence and obvious chemistry into the bittersweet tale of this other, fictional couple. The story looks at embracing uncertainty, taking a leap, and loving as if you only had a hundred days to live. Presented by Z Space and piece by piece productions with Encore Theatre Company, the show is conceived and created by married couple Abigail and Shaun Bengson, who double as a band called. By 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipients Abigail and Shaun Bengson share what this grant means to them in a virtual acceptance speech. | Tickets are now on sale forManhattan Theatre Clubs New York premiere ofWhere the Mountain Meets the Sea, written by AUDELCO Award nomineeJeff Augustin(The New Englanders, The Morning Show) and directed by Princess Grace Award winnerJoshua Kahan Brody,with music byThe Bengsons(Hundred Days,The Lucky Ones). St. Anns Warehouse will reopen its doors this spring with a pair of concerts from The Bengsons, performing their new work-in-progress The Broken Ear Setlist: Songs from Ohio. New York's vaccine and mask dates have expired, but both are still required for Broadway audiences. Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors. The immersive theatrical experience resumes performances at The McKittrick Hotel. document.head.appendChild(styleElement); 'Is It Possible To Tell the Truth Kindly?' - WRAL.com So, youre welcome, Louie., The Bengsons married 10 years ago, three weeks after their first date. | . The family saga, starring Adrian Lester, Simon Russell Beale, and Adam Godley, plays the Nederlander Theatre. You join them in an absolutely stunning ride that careens into life themes at every turn. In a quieter, more reserved performance, Shaun Bengson is played by the talented Alec Phan, with Royen Kent alternating in the role on weekends. sleeknoteScriptTag.src = ('//sleeknotecustomerscripts.sleeknote.com/47716.js'); Either way, the closest Ms. Bengson has felt to how she did before her family cracked apart is with the artistic family behind The Lucky Ones, a show that allows her to spend time again in her childhood Eden, if only in her imagination. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Hundred Days - New York Theatre Workshop - Abigail and Shaun Bengson July 29, 2021. By For a new series of song-based works from Arena Stage, artistic director Molly Smith commissioned new work from music-minded artists with some experience on stage. Hes going to be a pirate by 5, she said, and her husband laughed again. The songs are so catchy, propulsive and soul-soaringly jubilant that at some point I realized that I'd spent a large portion of the show with a silly grin on my face. The Rob McClure-led musical has been facing breakthrough COVID cases among its cast. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Anns created the Urban Canvas public art platform on their facade, presented a series of pop-up concerts, and streamed a number of international works. | In a dynamic staging by director Anne Kauffman, the show has the look and feel of a rock concert, complete (at least on opening night) with a roaring crowd. January 2, 2022. It's a show that forces both Abigail and Shaun to look at their life and what is terrifying them before they step on stage -- and then face it. Andrew Gans Natan Zamansky I love you, too, Ms. Gancher said, and exited. Dan Meyer The production began previews at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in August. Their notable "Hundred Days," celebrated the meeting of Abigail and Shaun Bengson even as they imagined a time when death would do them part. the Musical!, Tina, David Byrne's American Utopia, Stomp, Jersey Boys, and more. Her older sibling, so-called, would respond with feedback on her craftsmanship that helped to shape her as an artist. La Jolla Playhouse announces the cast and creative team for Hundred Days, book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher, music and lyrics by The Bengsons, directed by Anne Kauffman, with movement direction by Sonya Tayeh. December 26, 2022, By The physical production is austere, with little in the way of scenery beyond a constellation of light bulbs. Meg Masseron This is the person, no longer institutionalized, whose life Ms. Bengson is most fearful of harming with The Lucky Ones, an ensemble piece in which a cascade of events results in the dissolution of her family, including her parents marriage. Abigail and Shaun Bengson in Hundred Days; photo: Mark Leialoha. Now, they invite the public to participate in a hybrid congregation., In our new work, the idea is that loss is the mechanism by which God comes close, says Abigail Bengson. Louie, their blond-ringleted toddler, is a year and a half old, and Ms. Bengson throws up her hands at the challenge of not swearing in front of him. Celebrate the return of live theatre with some backstage photos from the companies of Six, Moulin Rouge! Their fierce 2015 production imagined a young couple whose time is cut short by illness but. But those three weeks in between meeting and tying the knot, the pair told NBC 7 San Diego, was the . A couple's intimate portrait of celebrating joy during difficult times. (Unlike many other such narratives, it's the guy who's wasting away before his time.) | By Then I got pregnant, so we started to feel our way into that being part of the piece. The four-week showcase will feature over 450 artists across 160 varied performances. Three of their singles have been featured on "So You Think You Can Dance" (FOX). | To wit: Whether by choice, chance or ultimately and unavoidably death, you will be separated from the person you love most. Arriving at this realization has been the seed for all sorts of lyric reflections, be it from ancient Greek odists, Renaissance sonneteers or pop balladeers. Shaun Bengson: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World Ryan McPhee, July 8, 2021. Abigail Bengson and Shaun Bengson Emilio Madrid-Kuser "In our new work, the idea is that loss is the mechanism by which God comes close," says Abigail Bengson. and AARP the Magazine. Actors' Equity Sets Protocols For the Return of In-Person Auditions, Playwrights Horizons Drops COVID-19 Booster Requirement, Two Years After the Shutdown, Broadway is Back, Broadway Mask, Vaccination Policies to Remain in Place as New York Lifts Its Own Requirements, Broadway COVID Safety Team Celebrates 2,000 Broadway Performances, Broadway Week's 2-For-1 Ticket Deals Extend Through February 27, Audible Theater Sets Off-Broadway Return for, New York City Center Will Require Proof of COVID-19 Booster in Addition to Complete Vaccination, The Public Theater Will Require Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster, Go Inside Rehearsal for Jason Robert Browns, 2020 Tony Award Nominations Announced October 15. | Id be like, Hey, its Friday, talking about nothing, and then Id sing this heavy piece of music, talking about everything, she said, and she realized thats not so different from what shes doing with the show itself. A while later, this cameo struck Ms. Bengson as curious. But their self-portrait of a show, which was written in collaboration with Ms. Gancher, spends most of its time in the light-devouring shadows of doubt. Marc J. Franklin March 20, 2021 Shaun and Abigail Bengson met in New York City at a party and after talking, decided to start a band together. The Bengsons drove to Dayton, Ohio, to stay with Shauns parents, and they put together an hour-long concert for the Louisville theater. June 24, 2021, By September 24, 2021. And I do mean overwhelming. My Joy is Heavy! by The Bengsons - YouTube The one-day-only event, starring Olivier nominees Rachel Tucker and Rachel John, played the West End October 11 following a digital production earlier this summer. Ryan McPhee By They have received the Jonathan Larson and Richard Rodgers Awards and nominations for the Drama Desk, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards. Eliots work. Its become a language we speak together.. Then, the pair started to strip the concept back and they arrived at theirpresent concept: "using the theatricality that we gathered and learned along the way, but in service to a humbler story that is hopefully more honest as well," Abigail said. And I can't imagine wanting it any other way. What Are Theatremakers Doing to Present Safe Productions? April 14, 2022, By Review: Waltzing With Love and Death in Hundred Days, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/theater/hundred-days-review-shaun-abigail-bengson.html. 'Hundred Days' Theater Review - The Hollywood Reporter Phylicia Rashad and Brandon J. Dirden star in the Manhattan Theatre Club premiere by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau. The new Broadway play cancelled its opening night December 20 due to a case of COVID-19 within the company. | The first, "My Joy is Heavy!" Shaun is clearly a talented musician and Abigail a powerful singer, even if she does occasionally overindulge in the sort of bluesy caterwauling that even Janis Joplin would find over the top. July 27, 2021. Even days afterward, having heard the songs only once, I get a surge of visceral pleasure every time one of them runs through my head. July 1, 2021. Anyone can read what you share. programming. sleeknoteScriptTag.charset = 'utf-8'; The beauty part of this is that any question that I can think of to ask, theres an answer to, and the answer is always weirder and more interesting and more surprising and sort of brighter than anything that I could make up.. The one-day-only event, starring Olivier nominees Rachel Tucker and Rachel John, arrives to the West End October 11 following a digital production earlier this summer. Dan Meyer Some people in the family Ms. Bengson grew up in dont talk to one another anymore, but for the musical the Bengsons interviewed all of them including the older sibling, so-called, who committed the crime. Copyright 1991-2023 Playbill Inc. All Rights Reserved. A half-hour into an emotionally delicate interview, there was a soft knock on the front door: Ms. Gancher, bringing over some eggs in the shell. Nominated for a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award, Hundred Days runs in the Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Forum September 22 - October 21. Review Roundup: NEW YORK, NEW YORK Opens On Broadway! The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical also features Rhys Whitfield as Raoul. styleElement.appendChild(document.createTextNode(cssRule)); The long-running favorite returns to the Orpheum Theatre. It wouldn't affect what would happen one way or another, and it may be healthier in the long run. Shaun's contributions include a deft melodic touch, technological prowess and musical ear that allows the inclusion of drums, guitar, accordion, and all manner of other instruments as well as. By Theyre people with a lot of pain and a lot of damage, she said, but also a lot of strength and a lot of magic., They are also so intertwined, personally and professionally, that they share a bio in the program for The Lucky Ones., Is that gross? Ms. Bengson asked recently, in the tone of someone checking to make sure she doesnt have lipstick on her teeth. St. Ann's Warehouse to Begin Indoor Performances With The Bengsons By Do Broadway and Off-Broadway Theatres Still Require Masks? Check out photos from opening night here! | Ryan McPhee Marc J. Franklin (ATLs Humana Festival; Manhattan Theatre Club), (New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow), and, (piece by piece productions). const styleElement = document.createElement('style'); Andrew Gans July 27, 2021. Dan Meyer The premise of Hundred Days, the new indie-rock musical at Z Space, sounds like it would be a huge downer. Hundred Days Z SPACE Review: Waltzing With Love and Death in 'Hundred Days' - New York Times Theres a line near the start of the new musical The Lucky Ones thats a deliberate hedge an explanation of the rules of the show that also leaves those rules a little murky. by The Bengsons arenastage1 2.96K subscribers Subscribe 1.2K 50K views 1 year ago Arena Stage is excited to present a newly commissioned filmed music series, Arena Riffs, featuring. In her own family, opinion about the existence of the show is divided some of those depicted vehemently in favor, some opposed. 100 Days created by Abigail and Shaun Bengson with collaborators Anne Kauffman and Sarah Gancher will be at The Public Theater in a limited engagement until Sunday January 15. The piece is based on the couple's real-life story of how they got together and fell in love. Hayley Levitt, This special evening with the award-winning singer/songwriter couple begins at 6 pm on Saturday, July 30 (rain date July 31 at 6 pm), and features a live ASL interpreter. | By That changed a few times as our lives changed, as she ran with us as things kept evolving.. Would just being grateful and happy during the same period be a better approach? And with those words, Mr. Bengson and his wife, Abigail the other half of the folk-rock duo the Bengsons, the indie-theater darlings who created the show for Ars Nova attempt to draw a cloak of privacy around themselves and the people they love. To whatever degree The Lucky Ones is fictionalized, she finds it really lovely to be working on a true story., I spend so much of my life making up characters or brainstorming situations or coming up with scenarios, Ms. Gancher said. Mr. Bengson, 34, cracked up at this, seated beside her in the apartment in Alphabet City where they stayed through early previews, to be close to the theater. The various safety protocols were released as both new and returning shows enter rehearsals. Created by Abigail and Shaun Bengson (Hundred Days), the series is inspired by interviews with people whose lives have been impacted by abortion.In this work, the Bengsons queried, can we have an empathetic conversation about . September 10, 2021. })(); Abigail and Shaun Bengson are a married composing and performing duo based in NYC and VT who have performed across the country and around the world. By Andrew Gans PULLS OUT by The Bengsons (Tiny Desk Contest 2020 Entry!) The show smoothly segues from the informality of a tale told in a concert setting to more fully staged scenes. } The concert's creative team also includes assistant director Keenan Tyler Oliphant, lighting designer Alejandro Fajardo, projection designer Jeff Sugg, scenic and costume designer DOTS, associate projection designer Simon Harding, producer Wendy vanden Heuvel, and executive producers Kendra Bator and Tom Casserly. You have entered an incorrect email address! | | "It's not easy, it's not easy, but it's the way I want to live," Abigail said. When not writing, Keith can be found playing with his daughters, Jordan and Cassidy. | They also star in the show, with a full band and chorus who . Bethany Rickwald By The Bengsons A La Jolla Playhouse Commission. Ms. Bengson, 35, has a tale to tell about the autumn she was 15, when her family shattered and the seemingly safe Eden she grew up in was lost forever. // Set the style properties for the paragraph element The Great Performances broadcast includes interviews with Adrienne Warren, Norm Lewis, Sara Bareilles, Aaron Tveit, Chita Rivera, and more. What did our critic think of OPEN at Nu Sass? By Logan Culwell-Block styleElement.type = 'text/css'; Abigail Bengson and Shaun Bengson Emilio Madrid-Kuser. | Its possible that we have all been raised in a way that hurt us, Abigail says in the show. Shaun's contributions include a deft melodic touch, technological prowess and musical ear that allows the inclusion of drums, guitar, accordion, and all manner of other instruments as well as harmony vocals often on backing tapes to give the duo an added grandeur. The incredible Molly Smith [Arena Stage artistic director] reached out to us and said we could create whatever we wanted, Abigail said. I'm A Celebrity star Shaun Ryder's health woes: Alopecia, thyroid The Bengsons. The Bengsons. | All this is supposedly taking place in the 1940s, but the period setting never becomes important or even discernible, and of course it has no bearing on the musical style. Three of their singles have been featured on "So You. January 7, 2022, By More than a dozen shows are part of the promotion, including Hamilton, Hadestown, and more. The Off-Broadway company recently canceled its Under the Radar Festival due to rising case numbers. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. But I cant stop. | Set in crunchy small-town New England (a part of Vermont that happens to be in Maine), its a follow-up to Hundred Days, a musical memoir of the Bengsons beginnings as a couple that was a hit last fall at New York Theater Workshop. The musical, starring Caroline Bowman and Caroline Innerbichler, plays Sheas Buffalo Theatre through September 24. Both Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker have been fighting cases of COVID, which put the Neil Simon revival on hiatus. Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3 will present NEXT@LCT3, a concert series of performances at the Claire Tow Theater. March 4, 2022, By A Childhood Eden Seared by Violence. Critical reception of The Lucky Ones has been mixed, with Jesse Green of The New York Times calling it a gawky, powerful work in progress, while Sandy MacDonald, in Time Out New York, found it harrowing.. By Not all the songs are like that, certainly; there's a lot of stylistic variety while maintaining a distinctive unified sound. July 29, 2021. Im like, here I am, sending tapes to them, 20 years later.. Then, they dreamed bigger: a Broadway musical! And saying, 'yes the world is a terrifying place, yes we don't know how long we'll have with the ones we love, but I'm going to live anyway and I'm going to keep moving forward and let my heart be open and let my heart break as it will.'". Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The Joaquina Kalukango-led production has been on hiatus since April 7. The stage managers are Amanda Spooner and Christopher Kee Anaya-Gorman. By Sonya Tayeh, currently Tony-nominated for Moulin Rouge!, serves as movement director. He ha (read more about this author). Visually, the piece is as bright as The Bengsons' surroundings (and outlook). Marc J. Franklin The concept of 'Hundred Days,' however, has stayed the same, The Bengsons said. CREDITS Created by and featuring the music of: Abigail & Shaun Bengson Director: Anne Kauffman Book by: Kate E. Ryan Producer (Z Space): Lisa Steindler Review: MY JOY IS HEAVY! by The Bengsons from Arena Stage Shaun has struggled with other health issues over the years, including non-cancerous cysts in his testicles, which he first noticed during lockdown, meaning he was unable to have them operated on. | "So letting love win in the battle between love and fear, something we all experience every day. By Dan Meyer Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's docu-play, with music by Steve Earle, had its 2020 Public Theater run cut short by COVID. Mr. and Ms. Bengson, known for their eloquent musical contributions to downtown New York theater pieces, are one of those rare couples who really did fall in love at first sight (at a massive anti-folk folk-punk old-timey neo soul band rehearsal). Melissa Kaitlyn Carter is a cheery presence as Sarah's best friend Caroline, and Dalene Mason is mournfully somber as Will's forbiddingly distant father. Its conversational, sometimes it seems like a music video or a dance party, sometimes it seems like youre going for a walk with us, Shaun said. The Bengsons' Hundred Days to Release Cast Recording This year has really been about connection, and we have connected to people all over the world in a very real and humbling way.. Their first rehearsal turned into their first date, and three weeks later, they were married! Ms. Bengson is sure of her right to tell such a story onstage because it is a fundamental trauma of her past, overlapping though it does with other peoples pain and struggles. One isn't necessary. In 2017, the couples Off-Broadway theatrical concert, Hundred Days, toured across the U.S. and was a big hit. Hundred Days now takes place entirely in New York City (mostly in Astoria, Queens), with lots of internal detours into the twisty corridors of each partners mind. Sometimes there are wounds so deep that they never all the way heal, he said. By The message of Each Kindness should be shared to people everywhere, and the music of Rootstock Republic should be enjoyed by all. From the moment Shaun and Abigail Bengson met 11 years ago, there was a third wheel in their relationship a matter for no small measure of stress and apprehension. const cssRule = '.my-paragraph { margin-bottom: 0px !important; }'; The stage and screen favorite stars in and directs an adaptation of T.S. March 15, 2022, By January 6, 2022, By Their theater work includes Sovereignty Hymns (La Jolla Playhouse), The Keep Going Song (Actors Theatre of Louisville), My Joy is Heavy (Arena Stage), Hundred Days (La Jolla Playhouse, New York Theatre Workshop, US Tour), The Lucky Ones (Ars Nova), Where the Mountain Meets the Sea (ATLs Humana Festival; Manhattan Theatre Club), Anything That Gives Off Light (Edinburgh Theatre Festival), Youll Still Call Me By Name (New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow), and Iphigenia in Aulis (Classic Stage Company).