THRILL ME: THE LEOPOLD & LOEB STORY Comes to Island City Stage

Relationships can be murder! In the height of the roaring twenties, Richard Loeb is obsessed with crime. Nathan Leopold is obsessed with Richard. Buzzed on adrenaline, they leave a trail of arson, theft, and vandalism in their wake before they conspire to commit the ultimate crime: a perfect murder. Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story with book, music and lyrics by Stephen Dolginoff, slinks into South Florida from August 3 through September 3 to close out Island City Stage’s 11th season.

"Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story is a sensual, compelling musical drama that recounts the chilling true story of the legendary duo who committed one of the most infamous and heinous crimes of the twentieth century,” said Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage. “Our Island City Stage production team is excited to bring an unexpected edge and a bit of mayhem to this modern classic musical of masochism and murder.”

Focusing on their obsessive relationship and utilizing Leopold’s 1958 parole hearing as a framework, Thrill Me reveals the series of events in 1924 Chicago that led about-to-be law students Leopold and Loeb to be forever remembered as “the thrill killers.” Nathan Leopold was passionate about Richard Loeb, who was passionate about crime and excitement. They created a secret agreement to satisfy each other’s needs. Soon Richard convinced Nathan that they embodied Nietzsche’s idea of the “Superman” and were above society. Then he drew him into his plan to lure a young boy to his death just to prove they could get away with it. But soon their perfect crime unraveled due to a careless mistake. Or was it so careless?

Stephen Dolginoff is the author/composer of Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, for which he received Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Musical and Best Music; an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Off-Broadway musical; won an ASCAP Music Award and a Los Angeles Garland Award. After its extended run in New York City, the show has gone on to have nearly 200 productions in 22 countries and 14 languages, winning multiple awards along the way. The original London production transferred to the West End after a sold-out fringe run. Long-running versions in Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai have generated huge fan bases and created an entire generation of Asian theatre performers and fans. 

Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story will see the return of Christopher Michaels to South Florida to helm the production. Michaels had been active in the South Florida theatre scene prior to moving to New York several years ago. He originally starred as “Nathan” when Rogow directed the region's first production of Thrill Me at the now-shuttered Rising Action Theatre.

Starring in the production as “Nathan” is Kevin Veloz, last seen at Island City Stage as Miss Industrial Northeast in their production of Pageant. He is looking forward to sinking his teeth into this role which explores how far two people will go to feel special…to love, to feel, to betray, to breathe.

New York-based actor Dylan Goike will be making his Island City Stage debut as “Richard.” Goike is excited to return to Florida’s theatre scene having previously performed in Farce of Nature at The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers. Other notable credits include Off-Broadway’s English language premiere of the French opera Anne Frank (Peter) and The Black Count of Monte Cristo, a musical debuting as an official selection in the Broadway-Bound Festival at Theatre Row.

Ardean Landhuis will be responsible for scenic and lighting design with costumes by W. Emil White, sound by David Hart and props by Denise Proffitt and Michael Madigan.

Island City Stage is a professional theater committed to sharing stories of universal interest, engaging diverse audiences with entertaining, challenging, and inspiring productions and programs, often exploring the LGBTQ+ culture.

Tickets for Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story start at $40. A Mimosa Sunday performance sponsored by Jimmy Cunningham will be held on August 13 with tickets at $55.   

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.islandcitystage.org, call (954) 928-9800, or email md@islandcitystage.org. Follow Island City Stage on Facebook at facebook.com/IslandCityStageFL and on Instagram at @islandcitystage1.

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