The Peoples Improv Theater presents IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE: A Survey of Music Business Creeps'
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 25, 2017
The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) presents IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE: A Survey of Music Business Creeps, Feb 15-March 30, 2017, at the PIT Loft. This solo character show, written and performed by Eli James, is a decade-by-decade journey through the parade of unsung deplorables who inhabit the history of rock 'n' roll.
IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE: A Survey of Music Business Creeps, created by Eli James and directed and sound designed by Philip Emeott, shines a light on the creeps, freaks, jackasses and wannabes that have been steadily plopping out of pop music's bottom since the 1950s. In it, award-winning music historian Sir Gordon Gledhill-Walker guides us through each sordid era of rock, attempting to find answers to pop music's longest-held mysteries, such as "WERE the Beatles more popular than Jesus?", "What is Payola and where can I get it?" and "Why did the '90s happen?" Visits from con artists, Klansmen and Morrissey are to be expected. It's all here when you imagine all the people!
Performances will take place Wednesday, February 15 through Thursday, March 30, 2017, at various times (see below) at the PIT Loft, located at 154 West 29th St., New York, NY 10001. Tickets are priced at $7 for all seats. To purchase tickets, click here.
Photo by Colleen Sturtevant
Performance dates/times:
Wednesday, 2/15 at 9pm
Wednesday, 2/22 at 7pm
Saturday, 3/4 at 7pm
Friday, 3/17 at 8pm
Saturday, 3/18 at 7pm
Thursday, 3/30 at 7pm
About Eli James
Eli James is an actor, writer, comedian and musician. He is a house team performer at New York comedy mega-hub The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, where he has acted on Maude Night since 2015 with the teams Cha-Cha, Lover and Mama's Gotta Go. His Broadway credits include The National Theatre of Great Britain's One Man, Two Guvnors, starring James Corden and directed by Nicholas Hytner, and Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. His previous solo show, William and the Tradesmen, was dubbed "a gem ... well-wrought, insightful and precise" by nytheatre.com. Further stage credits include The Four of Us at Manhattan Theatre Club, Becky Shaw at the Huntington Theater and the world premiere of Jason Grote's Maria/Stuart, directed by Pam McKinnon. His TV credits include Unforgettable, Alpha House, Gossip Girl, Lights Out and Murder in Manhattan. You can find him performing sketch and improv comedy all over NYC. His essay "Finding the Beat" was published in the Random House collection Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers, a Boston Globe best seller, and his plays have been produced at Ars Nova, La Mama, InterAct Theatre Company, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Portland Stage and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. http://www.eli-james.com/
About Philip Emeott
Philip Emeott has more than 15 years' experience as a director, actor and designer for New York City stage productions. He directed Isaac Rathbone's Captain Ferguson's School for Balloon Warfare, for which he also designed video projections, from its inception to a full run at 59E59, culminating in a run in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has worked extensively with Boomerang Theatre Company, where he directed Uncle Vanya, Dangerous Corner, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III and others. As an actor, he was nominated for an NYIT Award for Burning the Old Man, studied improv at the Peoples Improv Theater, and appeared in the premier production of Lively Productions' Blogologues. Philip has created multimedia designs for productions including Captain Ferguson, James Comtois's Off Track in the 2017 FringeNYC, and historical plays on Ellis Island. He hails from Florida, where his credits include The Odd Couple, Little Shop of Horrors, The Elephant Man and Laughter on the 23rd Floor.
About The Peoples Improv Theater and the PIT Loft
The Peoples Improv Theater was founded by Ali Reza Farahnakian in 2002 in a small black box theater at 154 West 29th Street. After outgrowing its original home, The PIT moved to 123 East 24th Street on December 31, 2010, opening up the PIT Striker and PIT Underground theaters. In 2015, the original PIT theater on West 29th Street was renamed The PIT Loft and officially became the third theater at The PIT. The PIT is dedicated to the instruction, performance and development of original comedy. The PIT strives to entertain and educate the community about the comedic arts in a safe and nurturing environment.
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