We the People: America Rocks!

We the People: America Rocks!

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Photo: Joan Marcus

The Public Theater’s much-lauded (and now Broadway bound) Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson isn’t the only political history–rock & roll mash-up to hit the Off Broadway boards this year. Of course TheatreWorksUSA’s We the People: America Rocks! is nowhere near as bleak or innovative as Jackson. It also doesn’t have an agenda, except to educate young audiences (and perhaps parents) about how our country functions.

If you need to bone up on your three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial, in case you’re wondering), We the People is a fun way to study. Four founding fathers— Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams and George Washington played by Jamie LaVerdiere, Abe Goldfarb, F. Michael Haynie and Colin Campbell McAdoo, respectively—set out to school 21st-century teen Dawn (Badia Farha), who’s running for student body president solely because it will look good on her college application. After a raucous opening number, “The Road to Democracy,” the leaders shed their wigs and waistcoats in favor of more contemporary duds and lingo (although the hilarious “huzzah” remains in their vocab) and croon about the Constitution, amendments, elections and our inalienable rights.

While many of TheatreWorksUSA’s past shows have been based on popular children’s books (Junie B. Jones, Click, Clack, Moo), We the People doesn’t have a kid-lit brand to attract audiences. It also lacks a true plot (the book, really more a series of sketches, was written by Joe Iconis, the creator of the company’s previous hit The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks). But for tweens and up, We the People’s great edutainment. The rollicking tunes—a smorgasbord of styles penned by multiple songwriters—are catchy, clever, info-packed and exuberantly performed by the game cast under the tight direction of Gordon Greenberg. Subtle it ain’t; it’s at once comical, outrageous and a little silly. But doesn’t that also describe our political system?—Raven Snook

We the People: America Rocks! runs through Aug 13 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Click here for showtimes. Tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Many performances sell out so arrive early to snag seats. Best for ages 8 and up. No stroller storage.

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