Amber Ruffin's BIGFOOT! THE MUSICAL is Coming to The Hollywood Fringe

You’ve heard of the myth and of the legend, but do you know the man? From the mind of The New York Times bestseller and Tony Award, WGA, and Emmy nominated writer Amber Ruffin (The Wiz, Some Like It Hot), with book and lyrics by Amber Ruffin and Kevin Sciretta (iO Chicago) and music by David Schmoll (The Second City), Bigfoot!  is the next gut-bustin’, laugh-a-minute Fringe musical you have to see! When Mud Dirt’s corrupt mayor places the blame of the town’s gradual fiscal demise on Bigfoot, the gentle giant must rise to the challenge of protecting himself and his friends. Bigfoot! is directed by Victor Isaac and will run for five performances at The Broadwater Second Stage this June.

About the Show

What happens when a well-meaning kid has a slight pituitary gland issue that makes him increase in height while simultaneously growing a considerable amount of body hair? How can his sickly mother and overwhelmed doctor protect him from the town's corrupt mayor, who spends his time whipping his constituents into a frenzied mob instead of admitting his own incompetence? Mud Dirt, USA is the backwoods town you always knew you never needed, and it is also the colorful backdrop for Bigfoot’s journey that puts the age-old question into stark relief: “why can’t you just be yourself, even if you are a terrifying eight feet of muscles and hair?” Luckily Bigfoot meets Joanne, a conspiracy-minded survivalist, who helps him challenge the people of Mud Dirt and their prejudices against very large, slightly clumsy creatures. Come on out to Mud Dirt to celebrate the mystery, the myth, and the man, that is Bigfoot!

Amber Ruffin

is a writer, executive producer, and host of the Emmy and WGA Award-nominated series The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. She is also an Emmy and WGA Award-nominated writer and performer for NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers. Ruffin was the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. She wrote and performed on Comedy Central's Detroiters and was a regular narrator on the cabler's Drunk History. Ruffin was previously a performer at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the iO Theater, and the Second City in Chicago. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards and has written for the series A Black Lady Sketch Show. Ruffin is a New York Times bestselling author, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, of "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories of Racism," published by Grand Central Publishing. She also co-wrote the Broadway musical Some Like it Hot, which began performances in 2022 and, in 2021, Ruffin was named to the 2021 TIME100 Next List, TIME's list of the next 100 most influential people in the world. With collaborator Lauren Van Kurin, Amber wrote the smash-hit King of Kong which won Best Musical at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Meghan Allison

Producer and choreographer Meghan Allison is the proud Associate Artistic Director of The Unknown Artists and has worn many hats over the years as an actor, producer and choreographer for the festival. Her Hollywood Fringe Festival highlights include Under The Influence (2023), Most Likely To… (2022), Come On Down (2019) and 13th Grade (2017).  Other favorite shows include: After the Fall (Unknown Artists), My Cousin Rachel (Lamplighters), Bus Stop (The Manhattan Playhouse), HAIR (Openstage Repertory), Cinderella (Shakespeare Santa Cruz).

Emily Clark

Producer and Music Director Emily Clark has been a proud participant of the Hollywood Fringe Festival since 2016, wearing multiple hats as an actor, music director, and producer with her company, The Unknown Artists. Bigfoot! The Musical is her ninth Fringe production. Some of her Fringe highlights include Under the Influence (2023), Most Likely To... (2022), Come on Down (2019), Jane Austen's Emma Frankenstein (2018), and 13th Grade (2017). Outside of Fringe, Emily is the creator of the musical theatre history based Youtube Channel, Stealing Focus, and she has been a performing arts educator in the Pasadena School District since 2008. Other favorite shows: Annie (Taylor Performing Arts Center), Mr. Burns: a post-electric play (LA Premiere, Sacred Fools), 35MM: A Musical Exhibition (LA Premiere, Unknown Artists), HAIR (Chance Theater), and Out of My Head (LA Premiere, Mechanicals Theatre Group). 

Victor Isaac

Director Victor Isaac is thrilled to be directing for the Hollywood Fringe Festival again! Over the last 9 years, Victor has appeared in, directed, and/or produced 10 Hollywood Fringe shows. Most notably directing the best comedy winner of 2016 Lamprey: Weekend of Vengeance, writing and starring in the "Best Solo Performance" winner in 2018 The Word, and directing 2022 "Best Cabaret & Variety" nominee "Most Likely To…"

Jeff Scot Carey

Jeff Scot Carey returns to the Hollywood Fringe Festival after he played Guy in Under The Influence (2023) and Hank in School For Love (2023). He has also been seen as Principal Taylor-Thomas in Most Likely To…, Halstead in Wigfield at The Hudson, and wrote and directed Come On Down at the Broadwater. Other Fringe credits include Charlie in The Runaway Clone (2018) and Tom in Ruckus Rockwell’s Pick of The Fringe Musical 13TH Grade at The Dorie and OMR Theaters. NYC Broadway: 101 Dalmatians (Madison Square Garden) and RENT (Tenth Anniversary Concert.) National Tours: Grease, South Pacific, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, 101 Dalmatians, Water Coolers, and three years with the RENT Collins National Tour and the 10th Anniversary World Tour playing Roger and Gordon respectively. Off-Broadway Jeff originated roles in Tails, Dorian Gray and Back Home. LA Theatre includes: Skullduggery, Mr Burns: a post electric play (Sacred Fools), The Max Max Factor (NoHo Arts Center) Doomsday Cabaret (org*smico), and Bagels (NMI).

Lucas Alifano

recently starred in Death of a Salesman at the Ruskin Group Theater and The Singing Revolution at the Broadwater Main Stage. He earned his MFA from the American Conservatory Theater. Lucas has an avid online following with more than half a million viewers laughing with him every day. Be sure to follow him at @earlofdadjokes for your daily dose of giggles and thanks for supporting live theater.

Rodnesha Green

is a film, TV and theatre actor currently residing in Los Angeles, but proudly hails from the Lone Star State (Houston, TX baby!) During her LA tenure, she has taken stage in the following productions: The Bluest Eye, Homeward LA, For Colored Girls, WickedLit, Return to the Forbidden Planet and LIVE! From the Last Night of My Life. She was also featured in several staged sketches and dances performed during the long-running Serial Killers at Sacred Fools. Rodnesha's work can also be seen leading in a variety of films including Ace Date, Grove, and Red Team, in addition to a recurring role on Station 19, as well as two Emmy Award Winning shows (HitRECord on TV and Create Together). Commercially, she has been featured in notable campaigns for Walmart and LG Electronics, where she was able to showcase her improvisation and choreography skills respectively. When out of the spotlight, Rodnesha runs a photography business (INspired Photos) and is co-producing a soon-to-be released podcast following the AppleTV+ series Severance entitled “The You You Are”!

Vincent Perez

is a Los Angeles native and has been performing theater from Hollywood to the Ventura area. Vincent's last Fringe performance was in The Unknown Artist's Most Likely To...  Other theater credits include: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Monty Navarro), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour Krelborn), The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), i (Robert Martin) Assassins (Charles Guiteau), In the Heights (Piragua Man), Hairspray (Corny Collins), Sweeney Todd (Anthony), Pippin (Pippin), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Snoopy), and Chicago the Musical (Mary Sunshine).

Cody Clark

is a professional actor back from a long sabbatical from the stage. He has performed in various musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik), City of Angels (Angel City Quartet), Hair (Woof), White Christmas (Bob Wallace), Meet Me in St. Louis (Warren Sheffield), The Wizard of Oz (Professor Marvel/The Wizard), Thoroughly Modern Milly (Trevor Grayton), Hairspray (Wilbur Turnblad), and 35MM (various).

Dana DeRuyck

LA theatre credits include Meteor Shower (Little Fish Theatre), Sisters Three (Inkwell Theatre), A Gulag Mouse, (Sacred Fools Theater Co.), Hole in the Sky (Circle X Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet (Porters of Hellsgate). Recently, she appeared in the films V/H/S/85 and Shoulder Dance. Dana is also a writer, comedian, and voiceover artist.

Emerson Boatwright

is a Los Angeles based Actor/Singer/Vocal Coach. Favorite theatre credits include Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, Spelling Bee, and UMPO: League of Their Own. You can hear his voice as Old Rex in the critically acclaimed game Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.  Instagram: @ejboatzzz

Shelby Miguel

a graduate of the USC School of Dramatic Arts and most known for playing Rosie Imelda/Nanea Mitchell in American Girl Live, is thrilled to be playing Joanne in Bigfoot!  The Musical!  When she’s not performing, she can be found on her couch crocheting blankets or reading romantasy books while drinking Snoop Dogg wine. 

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