Muscle played in Chicago opening June 6 -July 22, 2001 at the Pegasus
Players.
Music by William Finn, Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, Book by James Lapine
Based on the book by Samuel Wilson Fussell
Muscle was originally going to be written by Sondheim and Lapine as a
compliment to "Passion" and performed together. "Passion"
was expanded into a full night and Sondheim dropped the project.
Scenery was by Heidi Landesman, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, lighting
by Peter Kaczorowski, sound by Dan Moses Schreier, musical direction by
John McDaniel, stage manager was Beverly Randolph, musical staging by
Joey McKneely, and direction by James Lapine.
Character
Played in workshop (NYC) by
Max Riddle
Jarrod Emick
Professor/Milton, therapist
John Christopher Jones
Robert Riddle, Max's father
Dennis Parlato
Mary Ann, Robert's girlfriend
Stacey Logan
Ruth Riddle, Max's mother
Jessica Walter
Alice, Max's college friend
Sarah Uriarte
Jack, Max's college friend
Christopher Sieber
Elaine, Max's boss
Karen Ziemba
Albert, Max's co-worker
Kevin Chamberlin
Carmen, Max's co-worker
Darcie Roberts
Stuart, Max's co-worker
Stephen Lee Anderson
Gina, bodybuilder/ Trainer 1
Denise Faye
Paul, at the gym
Norm Lewis
Ajax, bodybuilder
Chuck Cooper
Mousie, bodybuilder
William Parry
Tara, trainer 2
Brenda Braxton
Vinnie, bodybuilder
Jimmy Noonan
Dwight
Brooks Ashmanskas
Act 1 - Princeton, NYC, and Boston
Song
Sung by
Nothing Like a Beginning
Max & Company
As Far As The Eye Can See
Max
Terrors of the Heart
Stuart, Elaine, Carmen, Albert, Waiters
Anyone At All
Mousie, Ajax, Max, & Company
Introducing the Gym
Company
Theory
Milton
Theory (reprise)
Carmen, Stuart, Albert
You're an Athlete
Mousie, Ajax, & Max
Now I Understand
Ruth & Max
California
Ajax, Mousie, Max, & Company
Act 2 - LA and NYC
Song
Sung By
Beauty
Company
Beauty (reprise)
Tara & Vinnie
Never Look Back
Ajax
Home Is
Vinnie, Mousie, Max, Ruth, & Robert
Real Life
Alice
A Nice Thing
Robert, Ruth, Max, & Gina
Judges
Company
Almost Perfect
Max
Nothing Like a Beginning
Max, Elaine, & Company
Synopsis:
Max has just graduated from college and has started working in NYC. After
reading a piece about Arnold Schwarzenegger, Max joins a gym. Some of
the bodybuilders at the gym notice his determination and take him under
their wing. Max gets more and more obsessed with bodybuilding and gets
fired from his job after shoving a co-worker. He decides to move to LA
with one of his bodybuilding friends. Eventually, Max is ready for a competition.
When he places third, he is devastated. He decides to move back to NYC
and offers his old boss the option on the book he is writing about his
experience.
Commentary:
This musical got generally terrible reviews.