Forager Theatre Company is thrilled to present Kander & Ebb’s first musical, an historic and rarely-produced tale, “Flora the Red Menace.” Premiered in 1965, it was a unique bridge between political FTP shows of the 1930s, the musical comedies of the Golden Age, and the darker, thornier concept musicals of the late 20th century. Utilizing an exciting, eccentric score, it explores labor rights, class divides, the power of community, female self-actualization, and the importance of young individuals developing their own moral compass.
Coming off their acclaimed in-the-round production of “tick, tick…BOOM!” last year, seen at The New Ohio in NYC and Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY, Forager will present a similarly fresh, innovative, and excavating take on this classic. It will feature a wall-sized mural designed specifically for this production by artist Tanya Gupta, as well as numerous other exciting production elements.
“Flora the Red Menace” has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, the original 1965 book by George Abbot & Robert Russell, and a revised 1987 libretto by David Thompson. Its original Broadway first production starred Liza Minelli, who won a Tony Award for her performance.