'Bonnie And Clyde: The Musical' Ignites Stage With Passion, Energy: 'A Really Exciting True Crime Story'
SAG HARBOR, NY — Just in time for the sizzling, sultry days of summer, a passionate and exciting new musical is set to burst onto the stage at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor.On Tuesday, previews begin for "Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical," described as "a bold, high-octane revival of the outlaw legend." Directed by Bay Street's Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, the show features a "a heart-pounding score and a fearless young cast," and aims to tell the classic story of young outlaws Bonnie and Clyde with new intensity and vision."Set against the backdrop of Depression-era America, 'Bonnie and Clyde' pulses with urgency, romance, and rebellion. Fueled by blues, gospel, and rockabilly rhythms, the musical follows two small-town dreamers on a dangerous path toward fame and infamy," a description of the show reads. "This fresh staging showcases a cast full of youthful talent, whose energy and chemistry bring new life to the legendary story. The production crackles with vitality, charging each scene with a sense of danger, longing, and the thrill of the unknown."And to kick off the show's run, on Tuesday, July 29, the musical opens with a special "Pay What You Can" preview performance. Tickets for the performance are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis; guests must go to the box office in person on the day of the show, where they can pay whatever they choose.The show features music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black, and a book by Ivan Menchell. "'Bonnie and Clyde' fuses rockabilly, blues, gospel, and contemporary musical theater into a high-octane, emotionally charged score," a release said. "The story follows two small-town dreamers whose hunger for something greater leads them down a thrilling and ultimately tragic path.""'Bonnie and Clyde' is a pulse-pounding ride," Schwartz said. "This production features a cast with extraordinary presence and charisma; each performance lights up the stage with intensity, drive, and unforgettable chemistry. It’s a show that grabs you from the first note and doesn’t let go."Speaking with Patch, Schwartz said the show brims with excitement. The idea to stage the musical at Bay Street was born when he and Wildhorn were working on another, unrelated project, and Wildhorn said he'd love to see "Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical" brought to new life at Bay Street. "He said, 'I think the intimacy of your space and your ability to do it in this whole new way would be so exciting,'" Schwartz said. The score, Schwartz said, "is amazing. I just fell in love with the show. It's so exciting. The central relationship is so passionate and romantic. It's the story of these two young people — and they were very young, only 19 and 21 when they met — who became these infamous, world-famous outlaws."But then, the pandemic happened, Schwartz said, and time passed. "This year, it felt like the ideal fit," he said. "We need the excitement; we need the passion. We need to view this energy on stage."Schwartz added, of "Bonnie and Clyde": "It's a story about how Americans are on a quest for celebrity — why we care about celebrity and, frankly, why we can idolize people who break the rules and break the laws. True crime is one of the most popular sources of entertainment, let's face it. And to get to do that on our stage is really exciting."Bonnie and Clyde themselves, Schwartz said, "are kind of like the progenitors of social media celebrity and pop celebrity. If they were around now, they'd be on TikTok."Their story resonates, Schwartz said. "And so, to explore these people who came from absolutely nothing and made themselves into national superstars seemed really, really interesting."The show, he said, not only takes audiences on a passionate, wild ride — a true crime adventure — but it also portrays the true events that unfolded with gravity. "Ultimately, Bonnie and Clyde were not only folk heroes, but they did kill people. The show is unflinching in its view of their behavior, and it's complicated. The show will give people a lot to talk about and a lot to think about. I do think it will give them this kind of wild, fun, sexy ride."The show follows in Bay Street's tradition of taking a musical "which has been seen in a bigger way on Broadway and then, stripping it down and doing it in a very intimate, new way," Schwartz said.Schwartz has been working with the writers of the show; this adaptation features changes to the script and even a new song that's never been heard before. "It's really a new version of the show," he said. "Taking the show, and doing it with 10 actors and really making it intimate and intense and so focused on the central relationships — that's also very different," he said.Even the set takes on completely new shape and meaning, Schwartz said. The set is focused on the "idea of this quest for celebrity," he said. "The whole set is marquee lights. There are more than 400 light bulbs on the set that do all sorts of fabulous tricks," he said. "I think it's going to be quite conceptual and have a quite modern feeling — but also, be quite dazzling."The production also honors the truth of the Bonnie and Clyde story, he said. "Every major character was a real person. So we want to honor what actually happened — but we also want to tell the story in a theatrical and exciting way."Also, Schwartz said, the musical is not based on the well-known "Bonnie & Clyde" film, but instead, on historical research and published histories of the pair.The show is the latest in Bay Street Theaterʼs 2025 Mainstage Season, Schwartz said."All the shows this season, in some way, have been about love and passion," Schwartz said.Beginning with "Bob & Jean: A Love Story," by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Robert Schenkkan, a show that was "very romantic and sweet," to "DECEIVED", about a marriage, and a "woman who's been very much in loved, who finds that he's not at all what she thought — it's about a love that curdles and deceives" to the latest production "Bonnie & Clyde" — a piece that portrays the scorching side of love. "This show is about a love that lights you on fire," Schwartz said. "A love that changes your life. It's also about physical passion and romance. This is the hot side of love. The crazy side of love."Schwartz said what also makes the show unique is the fact that the actors cast, Charlie Webb and Lyda Jade Harlan, are actually in their 20s, true to the age of the characters. "They're astounding," he said. "I think they're going to be superstars."And, too, they capture what love feels like, when young people find that fierce passion for the first time. "There's an impetuousness to their behavior. They don't know any better so they just do what feels right and that's so exciting to watch," he said.On Tuesday, guests can pay anything, even a dime, Schwartz said, all with an aim of making theater accessible for all. During the run of the show, there are also affordable seats and other programs to make theater accessible for all, including the opportunity for young people under 30 with an ID, to purchase seats for $30, Schwartz said.Schwartz had a message for audiences, about why the show is a must-see: "You're going to see a really exciting true-crime story with fabulous songs — you're going to be humming those songs when you walk out of the theater. And I think you're going to be really, really energized.""Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical" runs through August 24, with performances Tuesday through Sunday. The Tuesday, July 29 preview performance is part of Bay Street’s Pay What You Can initiative, with in-person box office sales beginning at 11 a.m. the day of the performance. For tickets and additional information, click here or call the box office at 631-725–9500.The article 'Bonnie And Clyde: The Musical' Ignites Stage With Passion, Energy: 'A Really Exciting True Crime Story' appeared first on Southampton, NY Patch.
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