Photo Flash: Stew & Heidi Rodewald's New Musical THE TOTAL BENT Opens at The Public Theater

The Public Theater presents THE TOTAL BENT, with text by Stew and music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, the team behind the Tony Award-wining musical Passing Strange, now through through Sunday, June 19. The production officially opened last night, Wednesday, May 25. Check out photos from the opening below!

The complete cast of THE TOTAL BENT features Marty Beller (Drums, Musical Direction); Ato Blankson-Wood (Marty Roy); John Blevins (Trumpet); Kenny Brawner (Deacon Charlie); David Cale (Byron Blackwell); Vondie Curtis Hall (Joe Roy); Damian Lemar Hudson (Deacon Dennis);Jahi Kearse (Andrew); Brad Mulholland (Saxophone); Heidi Rodewald (Bass); Stew (Guitar); and Curtis Wiley (Abee).

Stew and Heidi Rodewald, creators of the Tony Award-winning show Passing Strange, team with director Joanna Settle to bring you their thrilling new musical, THE TOTAL BENT, a riotous new show at the crossroads of the sacred and profane, survival and liberation, gospel and rock 'n' roll. When a British record producer arrives in Montgomery, Alabama to hook Marty Roy, a young black musical prodigy, he launches us back into Marty's tumultuous upbringing. The son of a gospel star and self-proclaimed healer, Marty spent his childhood writing the songs that have made his charismatic father famous. But in a nation on the verge of social upheaval, with the rising heat from the street guiding his pen, Marty finds himself at odds with his spiritually forceful father as he strives to create a masterpiece that will change America- no matter the cost. A funny, fiery, one-of-a-kind show, THE TOTAL BENT is about the passions that divide a father and son as they make their music and make their choice between salvation and selling out.

THE TOTAL BENT features scenic design by Andrew Lieberman, costume design by Gabriel Berry, lighting design by Thom Weaver, sound design by Obadiah Eaves and Sten Severson, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, and choreography by David Neumann.

Photos by Simon Luethi