Janet Dickinson Joins BUSH IS BAD Company

Janet Dickinson will join the company of BUSH IS BAD: The Musical Cure for the Blue-State Blues, starting Thursday, April 13th, Off-Broadway at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Dickinson will replace original cast member Kate Baldwin, who has upcoming engagements at North Carolina Theater and at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Dickinson will join original cast members Neal Mayer, and Michael McCoy. Dickinson's presence in the cast will mean that the company is composed entirely of Forbidden Broadway veterans, the long-running satirical revue to which BUSH IS BAD has been compared. "The Forbidden Broadway people are always smart, funny, quick as lightning, and able to do pretty much anything vocally," said composer/lyricist/creator Joshua Rosenblum. "I'm thrilled that so many of them have been eager to lend their talents to the cause of vivisecting the President." The hit show is directed and choreographed by Gary Slavin with musical direction by Rosenblum. Costumes are by Anne Auberjonois, with lighting and sound by Tonya Pierre.

In the last few weeks, BUSH IS BAD, which is also available on CD, has seen new material sending up the wire-tapping scandal, Jack Abramoff's indictment, Harry Whittington, and the port scandal. Because the show is updated frequently, addicted audience members have been returning to see BUSH IS BAD up to four and five times. BUSH IS BAD, the hilarious, cathartic and unabashedly partisan musical revue was originally slated for only eight performances. The show extended twice due to popular demand, and is now continuing indefinitely, with Thursday and Friday performances at 9 PM. Check www.theatermania.com or call 212-352-3101 for performance schedule and tickets. Tickets are $25 with a two-drink minimum.

BUSH IS BAD, which has been described as a cross between Forbidden Broadway and The Daily Show, offers catchy tunes, wickedly funny lyrics and scathing impersonations of the president and his gang of conspirators. Among the best-reviewed new musicals of the season, it has been described as "savvy, uproarious, [and] delicious," with "lyrics that draw blood and melodies that stick in the brain," eliciting "raucous, borderline org*smic reactions."

Joshua Rosenblum has served as conductor and/or pianist for 14 Broadway/ Off-Broadway shows, including Miss Saigon, The Music Man, Falsettos, Wonderful Town, and, most recently, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Rosenblum is the composer and co-lyricist of Fermat's Last Tango and his musical Einstein's Dreams received its world premiere in Lisbon last fall. Some of his compositions can be heard on the CD, Impetuosities—Music of Joshua Rosenblum As a pianist, he has appeared with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, New York Chamber Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and the American Symphony Orchestra, as well as in solo and chamber recitals at Symphony Space.

Janet Dickinson's credits include the Off-Broadway production of Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know, as well as performances at Florida Studio Theatre, The New Embassy Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, City Theatre (Pittsburgh), Struther's Library Theatre, Center Rep (San Francisco), and the Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton, Ohio). Janet has toured extensively with Forbidden Broadway. She has also been a company member with The Mountain Playhouse in Pennsylvania for several seasaons, where she has performed in over 100 productions. Janet has been nominated for a "Shellie Award" in California and a "Handy Award" in Florida. Neal Mayer was on Broadway in Les Misérables (final company); Off-Broadway: Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back, That's Life! (Cast Recording) and The Wizard of Oz in Concert (also on TNT). He toured in Golf: the Musical, and has numerous regional credits at North Shore Music Theatre, Arena Stage, Goodspeed, Coronet Theatre (L.A.) and others. Michael McCoy has been seen across the US and Canada in plays, musicals, concerts and cabaret. Including on Broadway: The Phantom Of The Opera and the national tours of Phantom…and Cats. Some of the regional theatres include Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Goodspeed, Virginia Stage Company, and Walnut Street Theatre. Gary Slavin (Director) has been active in the professional theatre for over 23 years. He has choreographed and/or directed for numerous stock: Starlight Indianapolis; Starlight Kansas City – world premiere, The Prince and The Pauper; as well as at numerous regional theatres, and for television (Stop the World…; Loving) and in Europe (Little Shop of Horrors tour.)