The producers of Australia’s first musical theatre show performed live online have announced that due to popular demand, Who’s Your Baghdaddy? (or how I started the Iraq War) will be released on an “on demand” basis for a two week period from Monday 29 June 2020.
Presented as a support group for people who started the Iraq War, this dark, boisterous and irreverent story follows a handful of mid-level spies whose vanity and office politics contributed to the worst intelligence blunder in modern history.
The Australian Premiere of this 2017 hit Off-Broadway musical is presented by Curveball Creative and directed by Neil Gooding. It stars Blake Erickson (Shrek), Doug Hansell (Come From Away), Phillip Lowe (Georgy Girl), Laura Murphy (Muriel’s Wedding), Matthew Predny (Kinky Boots), Adam Rennie (The Rocky Horror Show), Katrina Retallick (Come From Away) and Troy Sussman (Aladdin).
The musical is set in an “AA-style” support group meeting for people who believe (or don’t want to believe) that their actions lead to the start of the Iraq War. The story focuses on the recruitment and eventual disgrace of an Iraqi defector, codenamed “Curveball”, and the use and misuse of his testimony by the CIA, State Department and Bush Administration.
In the show, as in reality, Curveball provides Western intelligence agencies with false intelligence on Iraqi mobile weapons laboratories. This intelligence, which is later discovered to have been fabricated, was used by Secretary of State Colin Powell in his 2003 speech to the UN Security Council to justify the invasion of Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein.
Inspired by a true story, Who’s Your Baghdaddy? (or how I started the Iraq War) is a satirical musical comedy with music and book by Marshall Paillet, lyrics and book by A.D. Penedo, based on an unproduced screenplay by J.T. Allen. The show was produced Off-Off Broadway at the Actor’s Temple in 2005 and Off-Broadway at the St Luke’s Theatre in 2017.
Who’s Your Baghdaddy? (or how I started the Iraq War) has proven to be a hit, garnering much critical and audience praise. Don’t miss this extraordinary event – only until 12 July 2020.
“An unprecedented achievement in musical theatre that sets the bar incredibly high for any streaming production seeking to follow in its footsteps… This is perhaps the most entertaining (and beautifully lit) Zoom call I’ve ever been witness to. Such entertainment is due in no small part to the brilliant cast.” – State of the Arts
Director: Neil Gooding Featuring: Blake Erickson, Doug Hansell, Phillip Lowe, Laura Murphy, Matthew Predny, Adam Rennie, Katrina Retallick and Troy Sussman Musical Director: Steven Kreamer Choreographer: Leah Howard Designer: Isabel Hudson Lighting Designer: Phoebe Pilcher Sound Designer: Dave Bergman Technical Director: Michael Goodyear Stage Manager: Cecilia Nelson Deputy Stage Manager: Bridget James Producers: Keith Muir, Sam Ducker and Steven Kreamer
For more information, visit: www.baghdaddymusical.com.au for details. Tickets will be on the same sliding scale as the live performances, starting from $22, with any added donations split between the Actors Benevolent Fund of NSW and the cast and crew.
Image: Cast of Who’s Your Baghdaddy? (supplied)