Runs May 5th – June 11
You ever find yourself walking around the north end and you think—you can just swear—you hear a lilting voice singing in the breeze? You walk up the hill underneath the Aurora Bridge and finally find it; it’s coming from the area of the Fremont Troll.
Actor/composer Justin Huertas knows this feeling, and he’s been wanting to tell this story for some time now. Seattle Rep was going to premiere this three-hander musical Lydia and the Troll a few years ago, but it was one of many shows delayed by the pandemic. Now it holds the spot as this current season’s closer at the Leo K. It follows his previous Seattle-set original musical fables We’ve Battled Monsters Before and The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion (both at ArtsWest) and Lizard Boy at the Rep back in 2015. (And if you’re reading this from New York, Lizard Boy is playing off-Broadway June 1st – July 1st at the Prospect Theater Company on Theatre Row.) These three, plus the Book-It musical adaptation of Howl’s Moving Castle, are playful, heartfelt, fantastical, cleverly conceived shows with deeply hummable and accessible scores.
Lydia and the Troll tells of the titular, Fremont-based singer-songwriter, suffering from a wicked case of writer’s block, who is faced with a career- and life-altering decision when she bumps into a mysterious stranger. The show is co-created and directed by Ameenah Kaplan, with additional music by Steven Tran.
“Lydia has had quite a journey since the original workshop with a pandemic cancellation, a virtual concert, and more” said Seattle Rep Artistic Producer Kaytlin McIntyre. “This homegrown show about a local colossal statue is one that [our] audiences have been waiting for. We’re looking forward to sharing this magical synth-pop musical from Justin, Steven, and Ameenah with all of Seattle.”
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