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Adding Machine: A MusicalOpening Date: 28 September, 2016
Closing Date: 22 October, 2018 Air date: 1 Oct, 2020 Medium: online Where to watch: not currently available |
Stage Production Notes
Adding Machine: A Musical follows Mr Zero who after 25 long years spent adding figures in the same soul-crushing job, suddenly finds himself replaced by a machine. For the first time in his life, Zero takes his destiny into his own hands. The consequences set him on a path through this world and beyond, offering him one last chance for love, life and redemption.
The one-act musical composed by Joshua Schmidt, with a book by Schmidt and Jason Loewith, is an adaptation of Elmer Rice’s groundbreaking 1923 play The Adding Machine. The play was hailed by The New York Times as “the best and fairest example of the newer expressionism in the theatre.”
Adding Machine: A Musical premiered in February 2007 at the Next Theatre in Chicago. The musical was directed by David Cromer, with Takeshi Kata designing the set, lighting Keith Parham on lighting design, and Kristine Knanishu on costumes. The cast included Joel Hatch, Cyrilla Baer, Amy Warren, Ian Westerfer, Michael Vieau, Steve Welsh, Rosalind Hurwitz, Kevin D. Mayes, and Toni Inzeo.
Composer Joshua Schmidt received high praise for his debut score. Variety’s Steven Oxman noted “the music is wide-ranging yet consistent” while the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones described it as “unnerving but consistently provocative.”
The musical was nominated for multiple awards, winning the Jeff Award for Best Musical.
The Chicago production transferred to New York, opening off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in February 2008. Joel Hatch and Cyrilla Baer reprised their roles as Mr and Mrs Zero, and were joined by Adinah Alexander, Niffer Clarke, Roger E. DeWitt, Joe Farrell, Daniel Marcus, and Jeff Still.
New York Times critic Charles Isherwood stated the show was an “impossibly bleak, improbably brilliant little musical.”
The off-Broadway production was also nominated for multiple awards, including 10 Drama Desk Awards, 6 Lucille Lortell Awards, 4 Obie Awards, and 4 Outer Critics Circle Awards. It won the 4 Lucille Lortell Awards including Outstanding Lighting Design (Keith Parham), Outstanding Director (David Cromer), Outstanding Lead Actor (Joel Hatch), and Outstanding Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score, and the 3 Obie Awards including Direction, Performance (Joel Hatch), and Design (Takeshi Kata and Keith Parham).
The off-Broadway production ran from February 25 until July 20, 2008.
Adding Machine premiered in the UK in September 2016 at the Finsborough Theatre under the direction of Josh Seymour. The cast featured Joseph Alessi, Kate Milner-Evans, Joanna Kirkland, Edd Cambell Bird, James Dinsmore, Helen Walsh, George Rae, and Sue Appleby.
Composer Joshua Schmidt was closely involved in the UK premier, providing orchestrations and vocal arrangements, and working with the cast during rehearsals.
The off West End production received rave reviews. Writing for Musical Theatre Review, Craig Glenday praised the “gleamingly polished performances” while Julian Eves, writing for BritishTheatre.com claimed it was “an impeccable and stylish production,” and “one of the best productions you are likely to see all year.”
Critics noted the surprising nature of the unconventional score. Eves noted that it “demands a lot of its listeners; but it repays handsomely in its dramatic and aesthetic effects,” while The Guardian’s Michael Billington stated it served to “give Rice’s fable a zestful comic savagery… This is Rice with an added musical spice.”
The off West End production of the Adding Machine closed in London on October 22, 2018.
Perhaps due its complex score, or the way it creates the anti-hero protagonist Mr Zero through intentionally sexist and racist content, The Adding Machine: A Musical is not widely performed.
In 2019, the musical was subject to controversy. The Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) at Point Park University in Pittsburgh was scheduled to perform the musical in December. The director Tlaloc Rivas, who is a Chicano/Mexican immigrant of Cora/Nayarit descent, reportedly had a plan to deal with the problematic content which included hiring a creative team comprised of a majority of women and people of color, and casting a diverse group of actors. Following an open town hall hosted by COPA, it was decided to cancel the production due to the “trauma inflicted upon the students involved.”
Adding Machine: A Musical is available to license through Concord Theatricals. The Concord Theatricals listing does not currently note the racist or sexist content, and that the musical is deemed as “appropriate for all audiences.”
Adding Machine: A Musical follows Mr Zero who after 25 long years spent adding figures in the same soul-crushing job, suddenly finds himself replaced by a machine. For the first time in his life, Zero takes his destiny into his own hands. The consequences set him on a path through this world and beyond, offering him one last chance for love, life and redemption.
The one-act musical composed by Joshua Schmidt, with a book by Schmidt and Jason Loewith, is an adaptation of Elmer Rice’s groundbreaking 1923 play The Adding Machine. The play was hailed by The New York Times as “the best and fairest example of the newer expressionism in the theatre.”
Adding Machine: A Musical premiered in February 2007 at the Next Theatre in Chicago. The musical was directed by David Cromer, with Takeshi Kata designing the set, lighting Keith Parham on lighting design, and Kristine Knanishu on costumes. The cast included Joel Hatch, Cyrilla Baer, Amy Warren, Ian Westerfer, Michael Vieau, Steve Welsh, Rosalind Hurwitz, Kevin D. Mayes, and Toni Inzeo.
Composer Joshua Schmidt received high praise for his debut score. Variety’s Steven Oxman noted “the music is wide-ranging yet consistent” while the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones described it as “unnerving but consistently provocative.”
The musical was nominated for multiple awards, winning the Jeff Award for Best Musical.
The Chicago production transferred to New York, opening off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in February 2008. Joel Hatch and Cyrilla Baer reprised their roles as Mr and Mrs Zero, and were joined by Adinah Alexander, Niffer Clarke, Roger E. DeWitt, Joe Farrell, Daniel Marcus, and Jeff Still.
New York Times critic Charles Isherwood stated the show was an “impossibly bleak, improbably brilliant little musical.”
The off-Broadway production was also nominated for multiple awards, including 10 Drama Desk Awards, 6 Lucille Lortell Awards, 4 Obie Awards, and 4 Outer Critics Circle Awards. It won the 4 Lucille Lortell Awards including Outstanding Lighting Design (Keith Parham), Outstanding Director (David Cromer), Outstanding Lead Actor (Joel Hatch), and Outstanding Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score, and the 3 Obie Awards including Direction, Performance (Joel Hatch), and Design (Takeshi Kata and Keith Parham).
The off-Broadway production ran from February 25 until July 20, 2008.
Adding Machine premiered in the UK in September 2016 at the Finsborough Theatre under the direction of Josh Seymour. The cast featured Joseph Alessi, Kate Milner-Evans, Joanna Kirkland, Edd Cambell Bird, James Dinsmore, Helen Walsh, George Rae, and Sue Appleby.
Composer Joshua Schmidt was closely involved in the UK premier, providing orchestrations and vocal arrangements, and working with the cast during rehearsals.
The off West End production received rave reviews. Writing for Musical Theatre Review, Craig Glenday praised the “gleamingly polished performances” while Julian Eves, writing for BritishTheatre.com claimed it was “an impeccable and stylish production,” and “one of the best productions you are likely to see all year.”
Critics noted the surprising nature of the unconventional score. Eves noted that it “demands a lot of its listeners; but it repays handsomely in its dramatic and aesthetic effects,” while The Guardian’s Michael Billington stated it served to “give Rice’s fable a zestful comic savagery… This is Rice with an added musical spice.”
The off West End production of the Adding Machine closed in London on October 22, 2018.
Perhaps due its complex score, or the way it creates the anti-hero protagonist Mr Zero through intentionally sexist and racist content, The Adding Machine: A Musical is not widely performed.
In 2019, the musical was subject to controversy. The Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) at Point Park University in Pittsburgh was scheduled to perform the musical in December. The director Tlaloc Rivas, who is a Chicano/Mexican immigrant of Cora/Nayarit descent, reportedly had a plan to deal with the problematic content which included hiring a creative team comprised of a majority of women and people of color, and casting a diverse group of actors. Following an open town hall hosted by COPA, it was decided to cancel the production due to the “trauma inflicted upon the students involved.”
Adding Machine: A Musical is available to license through Concord Theatricals. The Concord Theatricals listing does not currently note the racist or sexist content, and that the musical is deemed as “appropriate for all audiences.”
Filmed Production Notes
Adding Machine: A Musical was filmed live during its run at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2016.
In April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 shutdown, Finborough Theatre in London created #FinboroughForFree, a program offering one free production online every month until the end of the year.
Adding Machine: A Musical was released for free on Scenesaver and YouTube on October 1, 2020. The Scenesaver version includes subtitles.
The film includes a warning, “Adding Machine: A Musical is based on the 1923 play Adding Machine by Elmer Rice. As an indictment and examination of white privilege, it contains racist language that may cause offence.”
Adding Machine: A Musical was available to stream for free on Scenesaver and YouTube from October 1 - November 12, 2020.
Adding Machine: A Musical was filmed live during its run at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2016.
In April 2020, in response to the COVID-19 shutdown, Finborough Theatre in London created #FinboroughForFree, a program offering one free production online every month until the end of the year.
Adding Machine: A Musical was released for free on Scenesaver and YouTube on October 1, 2020. The Scenesaver version includes subtitles.
The film includes a warning, “Adding Machine: A Musical is based on the 1923 play Adding Machine by Elmer Rice. As an indictment and examination of white privilege, it contains racist language that may cause offence.”
Adding Machine: A Musical was available to stream for free on Scenesaver and YouTube from October 1 - November 12, 2020.
Adding Machine: A Musical PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Finborough Theatre, London
Producer: Alex Turner Productions, SDWC Productions, Alex Turner and Effie Stevenson
Book: Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt
Music & Lyrics: Joshua Schmidt
Based on the play by: Elmer Rice
Director: Josh Seymour
Musical Director: Ben Ferguson
Orchestrations: Joshua Schmidt
Movement Direction: Chi-San Howard
Scenic and Costume Design: Frankie Bradshaw
Lighting Design: Neill Brinkworth
Sound Design: Philip Matejstschuk
Cast:
Joseph Alessi (Mr Zero), Kate Milner-Evans (Mrs Zero), Joanna Kirkland (Daisy Dorothea Devore), Edd Cambell Bird (Shrdlu), James Dinsmore (Mr One, The Boss, The Fixer and Charles), Helen Walsh (Mrs One, Mae and Prisoner), George Rae (Mr Two and Prison Guard) and Sue Appleby (Mrs Two, Betty and Matron), Band: Ben Ferguson (Piano), Tristan Butler (Percussion), Hamish Brown (Synth)
Theatre: Finborough Theatre, London
Producer: Alex Turner Productions, SDWC Productions, Alex Turner and Effie Stevenson
Book: Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt
Music & Lyrics: Joshua Schmidt
Based on the play by: Elmer Rice
Director: Josh Seymour
Musical Director: Ben Ferguson
Orchestrations: Joshua Schmidt
Movement Direction: Chi-San Howard
Scenic and Costume Design: Frankie Bradshaw
Lighting Design: Neill Brinkworth
Sound Design: Philip Matejstschuk
Cast:
Joseph Alessi (Mr Zero), Kate Milner-Evans (Mrs Zero), Joanna Kirkland (Daisy Dorothea Devore), Edd Cambell Bird (Shrdlu), James Dinsmore (Mr One, The Boss, The Fixer and Charles), Helen Walsh (Mrs One, Mae and Prisoner), George Rae (Mr Two and Prison Guard) and Sue Appleby (Mrs Two, Betty and Matron), Band: Ben Ferguson (Piano), Tristan Butler (Percussion), Hamish Brown (Synth)
Sources
Articles
Websites
- Michael Billington, “Adding Machine: A Musical review – revenge, redemption and the afterlife, 4 / 5 stars” The Guardian (Oct 2, 2016)
- Julian Eaves, “REVIEW: Adding Machine, Finborough Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭,” BritishTheatre.com (Oct 3, 2016)
- Craig Glenday, “Adding Machine – A Musical – Finborough Theatre,” Musical Theatre Review (Oct 3, 2016)
- Jordyn Hronec, “COPA show ‘Adding Machine’ poses challenge for students, contains controversial material,” The Globe (Oct 2, 2019)
- Jordyn Hronec, “Dean of COPA cancels show ‘Adding Machine’” The Globe (Nov 22, 2019)
- Charles Isherwood, “The Luckless Office Drone’s Life, and Afterlife, of Benumbed Desperation,” New York Times (July 20, 2008)
- Chris Jones, “'Machine' adds up to great theater,” Chicago Tribune (Feb 7, 2007)
- Chris Jones, “Brilliant 'Adding Machine' puts a new stamp on a standout musical,” Chicago Tribune (April 4, 2016)
- Tony Norman, “Tony Norman: A musical about intolerance faces the music before it opens at Point Park University,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Nov 26, 2019)
- Steven Oxman, “The Adding Machine: A Chamber Musical,” Variety (Feb 6, 2007)
- Joshua Schmidt, “Adding Machine: The themes of Elmer Rice’s 1922 play seem never more relevant than now,” The Independent (Sept 28, 2016)
- Theatre Weekly Press, “Finborough Theatre to Release Adding Machine: A Musical on YouTube,” Theatre Weekly (Oct 1, 2020)
- Uncredited, “ADDING MACHINE' REPLACES POOR ZERO; Elmer E. Rice's Play a Simple Annal of the Glorious Sensing of Life.” New York Times (March 20, 1923)
Websites
- Concord Theatrics, “Adding Machine: A Musical,” Accessed via: https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/2181/adding-machine-a-musical
- Finsborough Theatre, “Adding Machine: A Musical,” Accessed via: https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/adding-machine-a-musical/
- Internet Off Broadway Database, “Adding Machine,” Accessed via: http://www.iobdb.com/Production/4662
- Scenesaver, “Adding Machine: A Musical (Subtitled),” Accessed via: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/adding-machine-a-musical-subtitled/
- Tlaloc Rivers, Accessed via: http://www.tlalocrivas.com/
Written by Luisa Lyons (October, 2020)