John & Jen Summer musical at Rivercity Players Theatre

John & Jen: Music by Andrew Lippa, Lyrics by Tom Greenwald. Book by Andrew Lippa & Tom Greenwald. Originally produced by Goodspeed Opera House, Michael P. Price, Executive Producer. Originally produced in New York City by the Lamb’s Theatre Company, Ltd. Carolyn Rossi Copeland, Producing Director.
Directed by Hudsen Leroy
Starring Hudsen Leroy & Halle Blake
A truly original musical that honors brothers and sisters, as well as parents and children, set against the background of a changing America between 1950 and 1990, John & Jen is a gem of a show, brimming with intelligence, wit and beautiful melodies.
This is the story of Jen and her relationships with the two Johns of her life: her younger brother, who was killed in Vietnam, and his namesake, the son who is trying to find his way in a confusing world. Jen and her younger brother, John, are growing up in the ever-changing world of mid-century America. As the country becomes divided over the war in Vietnam, so does the family, and battle lines are drawn between the once-close siblings. When John is killed in Vietnam, Jen is left to reconcile her memory of their fractured relationship along with her son and brother’s namesake.
With a cast of only two people, John & Jen is a tour-de-force for two actors, taking them from childhood, through adolescence, and beyond. A chamber musical, beautifully scored for piano, cello and percussion, John & Jen is a musical about connections, commitments and the healing of the human heart.