Teeth (musical)
| Teeth | |
|---|---|
 Poster for the 2024 Playwrights Horizons production | |
| Music | Anna K. Jacobs |
| Lyrics | Michael R. Jackson |
| Book | Anna K. Jacobs Michael R. Jackson |
| Basis | Teeth by Mitchell Lichtenstein |
| Premiere | March 19, 2024: Playwrights Horizons, New York City |
| Productions |
|
Teeth is a musical by Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs, adapted from the 2007 horror film of the same name. It premiered off-Broadway in 2024 at Playwrights Horizons.
The musical follows Dawn O'Keefe, an evangelical teenager, who is navigating the challenges of adolescent dating and chastity when she discovers she has teeth in her vagina.
Synopsis
[edit]Dawn O'Keefe is the leader of the Promise Keeper Girls, a Christian youth group under the auspices of the church run by her stepfather, known as Pastor. Dawn feuds with her stepbrother, Brad, over an incident when they were young in which he fingered her and received a cut. Feeling emasculated, Brad turns to the Truthseekers, a virtual group of men's rights activists, to reclaim a sense of power, but Pastor discovers him masturbating upon the instructions of their leader, Godfather, and beats him. Dawn struggles with the temptation to break her chastity vow with her boyfriend, Tobey. They go swimming and become engaged, then begin having sex. However, when Tobey starts becoming aggressive and ignoring Dawn's pleas to stop, Dawn's vagina abruptly cuts off Tobey's penis and leaves him, dead, floating in the lake.
In Act II, Dawn's friend Ryan recommends she see a gynaecologist outside of town. Though initially sympathetic, he reveals predatory tendencies during his examination that result in Dawn cutting off his hand inside her vagina. Ryan, a closeted gay man, discovers that Dawn is a reincarnation of the goddess Dentata and suggests that having sex with the right man will cure her of her vaginal dentition. The two have consensual sex and Dawn's "teeth" do not engage, but Ryan reveals he was secretly live-streaming the encounter to prove that he is no longer gay. In a vengeful state, Dawn has sex with him again and cuts off his penis. In a final battle, the Promise Keeper Girls face off against Pastor and the Truthseekers, castrating them and threatening the audience.[1][2]
Cast and characters
[edit]| Character | Playwrights Horizons [3][4] | New World Stages [5] |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
| Dawn O'Keefe | Alyse Alan Louis | |
| Pastor Bill O'Keefe | Steven Pasquale | Andy Karl |
| Brad/Truthseeker | Will Connolly | |
| Tobey/Truthseeker | Jason Gotay | |
| Ryan/Truthseeker | Jared Loftin | |
| Promise Keeper Girl Keke | Helen J Shen | Madison McBride |
| Promise Keeper Girl Rachel | Lexi Rhoades | Micaela Lamas |
| Promise Keeper Girl Stephanie | Wren Rivera | |
| Promise Keeper Girl Becky | Courtney Bassett | |
| Promise Keeper Girl Fiona | Phoenix Best | Sydney Parra |
| Promise Keeper Girl Trisha | Jenna Rose Husli | |
Adaptation
[edit]
Though based on the 2007 film Teeth, the musical makes some adjustments to the characters, combining the roles of pastor and Dawn's stepfather and creating the roles of Ryan and the Promise Keeper Girls. The musical also originates Brad's incel storyline.[6]
Jacobs' score ranges from Christian rock to what she described as "an ancient feminine Tori Amos meets Stravinsky pagan ritual music."[7]
Productions
[edit]Versions of the show were workshopped at the Sundance Institute, Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova, and 54 Below.[8]
The off-Broadway run entered previews at Playwrights Horizons on February 21, 2024, opening March 19 after a weeklong delay due to cast illness.[9] It was twice extended and closed April 28.[10] Sarah Benson directed and Raja Feather Kelly choreographed.[11]
An Off-Broadway commercial, open-ended transfer of the Playwrights Horizons production began preview performances at New World Stages on October 16, 2024, and officially opened on October 31.[12]
The original Off-Broadway cast recording was released digitally on July 12, 2024, with the physical release set for August 30.[13]
Reception
[edit]The New York Times theater critic Jesse Green praised Jacobs' and Jackson's "catchy pop-rock tunes with their smart, smutty rhymes," but suggested the musical's plot is contrived to fit the frame of its satirical message.[14] A Times feature on the show by journalist Erik Piepenburg called it a "feminist awakening with a lethal bite."[6] Vulture's Sara Holdren commended the musical's use of the horror genre, juxtaposing the "fantastical" gruesomeness of the on-stage violence with the frightening realism of the ideas that underpin them.[2] For The Washington Post, Brittani Samuel lamented the power that men hold in defining Dawn's character, commenting that, "While it's all raucous, campy fun, one can’t help but crave more for our protagonist."[15]
The musical received four Drama Desk Award nominations in 2024, specifically Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Book, and Outstanding Featured Actor for Steven Pasquale.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Hofler, Robert (March 20, 2024). "'Teeth' New Musical Off Broadway Review". The Wrap. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ a b Holdren, Sara (March 19, 2024). "In Teeth, Purity Culture Leaves Bite Marks". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Teeth". Playwrights Horizons. February 24, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ "Teeth Off-Broadway Original Cast". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Teeth". BroadwayWorld. July 26, 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ a b Piepenburg, Erik (March 4, 2024). "Bringing 'Teeth,' a Feminist Awakening With a Lethal Bite, to the Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ McHenry, Jackson (February 7, 2024). "Listen to 'Teeth' From the Musical Teeth". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "New Musical: TEETH By Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs". 54 Below. September 17, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Higgins, Molly (March 19, 2024). "Reviews: What Do Critics Think of Teeth Off-Broadway?". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan; Masseron, Megan (April 28, 2024). "Off-Broadway's Teeth Takes Final Bite April 28". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Evans, Greg (May 9, 2023). "'Strange Loop' Playwright Michael R. Jackson To Pen Stage Musical Adaptation Of Cult Horror-Comedy 'Teeth'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Wild, Stephi. "Michael R. Jackson's TEETH Will Transfer to New World Stages This October". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Anna K. Jacobs & Michael R. Jackson's TEETH to Return Off-Broadway at New World Stages; Cast Recording Out Now". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ Green, Jesse (March 20, 2024). "Review: An Affair to Dismember, in the Gory Musical 'Teeth'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Samuel, Brittani (March 19, 2024). "A biting, hilarious satire of religion". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (April 29, 2024). "Dead Outlaw, The Outsiders Lead 2024 Drama Desk Award Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-04-30.