“Romero and Juliet” will be presented at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe this weekend,
The original “Night of the Living Dead” is a cult classic that arguably gave rise to modern zombie culture. Composer Aaron Gandy, whose new production, “Romero and Juliet,” is coming to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe on Saturday, says that a friend’s misspelling of the Shakespeare play sparked the idea.
That typo got him thinking about filmmaker George Romero, the creator of “Night of the Living Dead,” and his other zombie films, such as “Dawn of the Dead” and “Day of the Dead,” and before long a zombie rock musical was in the works.
“‘Night of The Living Dead’ was shot locally,” Gandy notes.
Sometimes weird just works.
Celebrating the hair band era
Gandy describes “Romero and Juliet” as a zombie-infused take on “Romeo and Juliet”‘s tale of doomed lovers. In this version, Juliet is a zombie, Romero is a filmmaker and, as Gandy puts it, “He’s human and things don’t go well.”
Gandy is known for a wide range of work from classic Broadway revivals, to film scores and contemporary theater. Delving into “camp” is a bit of a detour, but one he’s obviously having fun with. “The orchestrators and I are having a great time geeking out at some of the eighties sounds,” he said.
While “Night of the Living Dead” is associated with the 1960s, “Romero and Juliet” summons up the 1980s. “While working on the original score, I approached it like a musicalized B-movie set in the ’80s,” Gandy said. “My first thoughts went to Tears for Fears and Spandau Ballet, and that music is so fun-the lightest stuff-which I balanced with hair bands, big drums and screaming guitars,” he said.
The audience will recognize nods to a variety of singers who were popular in the era like Madonna, Pat Benatar, Boy George, Michael Jackson and more,” Gandy said. “The main character is a cross between Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams.”
Juliet’s charge
Actress Allison Guinn, who plays Juliet’s nurse in the musical, is no stranger to the spotlight. Guinn has appeared on television alongside Meryl Streep and Martin Short in “Only Murders in the Building,” in the Emmy-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and in Broadway shows like “Hair,” “On the Town,” and more recently “Tammy Faye.”
The northeast Tennessee native and former theater major said that she’s looking forward to performing in “Romero and Juliet.” “My character Nessa wants what’s best for Juliet and hopes to prevent her from being hurt,” explains Guinn, adding that many adults will relate to the character.
Guinn, whose background is rooted in rock, says she feels right at home in the show. “I sing three songs and the beauty of this musical is that everyone gets to sing all the time,” she said. Guinn’s big number is titled “It’s Not Love,” which is a piece of well-meaning advice to her charge about the difference between infatuation and true love.
Guinn said she will be performing with a five-piece rock band. “It’s part musical theater and part rock concert, so it’s going to be a lot of fun,” she said.
Audience takeaway
Gandy said that it was sometimes a challenge to stay true to the Shakespearean tragedy while hewing to what are known as zombie-like traits. “They don’t talk, but they do sing, so that pretty much plants us in musical land,” he said, with a chuckle. “They also have feelings so when things get heated, they can burst into song,” he explains.
Ultimately Gandy believes that “Romero and Juliet” will appeal to a variety of audiences. “It’s a love story and we give Shakespeare his due. You’ll want to root for them and believe that their love is real,” he said. “We think the audience will fall in love with the couple and we’ll go right there with them. This show has something for everyone-B-movie aficionados, 80s-era music lovers, fans of Shakespeare and those who just plain enjoy live performances. There will be a lot to enjoy.”
“Romero and Juliet” is being presented by Split Stage Productions in Greensburg. It will be in Saint Vincent College’s Carey Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. For information, go online to splitstage.com.
