Interview: Cameron King of LIZZIE at Southern Plains Productions

Southern Plains Productions presents LIZZIE: The Rock Musical at The Tower Theatre, August 18th-19th, 2022. LIZZIE is the true, and truly chilling, story of Lizzie Borden, the Boston-area socialite who was acquitted of the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. The all-female show is set to a hard-rock score and breaks all the rules of musical theatre. Broadway World sat down with Production Director Cameron King for an exclusive interview.

BWW: Tell us about Lizzie! What are you excited for audiences to see?

CK: Lizzie is the savage, musical cousin of a hard-rock concert. It's a high-energy, fast-paced, aggressive story about the murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in 1892. It's a mesh of worlds, and it's a big-bang of theatrical endeavors. I'm really excited for audiences to experience this hybrid between concert and musical, and to experience this active storytelling. I'm also excited for folks to see these four girls and what powerhouses they are! I'm thrilled to combine the musical on the page, the historical figures, and the talents of these theatrical pros.

BWW: As you mentioned, Lizzie is an all-female musical. Why do you think now is the best time for women and femme-people in musical theatre?

CK: I was raised an only child in NYC, and I spent a lot of time being the child of single parents. I gained a lot of empowerment from that, and I never saw myself as a "girl" in the traditional, flowery sense. This musical does something similar. Right now is the PERFECT time to counter those stereotypes. Not only can women be strong, smart and independent, they can also be murderers. We have an uncontrollable amount of power as women. This story tells the tale of what happens when that power is harnessed from a place of vengeance. Although we may not agree with what she did, what Lizzie does for breaking boundaries and is so necessary. And perhaps it's mostly necessary in a place like Oklahoma.

BWW: Do you think that Oklahoma audiences will embrace this non-traditional experience?

CK: I really don't know!

BWW: We'll find out!

CK: Yeah! I can only hope. I've not had the privilege of ever going to Oklahoma in my life. I can speak on traditional theatrical audiences that I've experienced, and say that we are definitely taking a risk. My work as an artist is going to jolt audiences awake. And whether or not they hit snooze is something we'll wait to find out.

BWW: Theatre is one of the only art forms that is not static. You have to participate. It's fully dependent on the audience.

CK: They're the fifth character!

BWW: Have you faced any particular challenges due to this never-ending pandemic?

CK: With Lizzie, sure I wish we could've been in the same room for more things. But I'm not sure we would have been able to do that regardless of COVID. What I did learn in working as a theatrical artist during COVID is how to engage with virtual platforms. We did all our auditions and callbacks virtually. While that was difficult, and unheard of a few years ago, I'm grateful for the experiences I had through the pandemic. I would've been unable to cast a show from hundreds of miles away otherwise!

LIZZIE stars Sadie Farmer as Lizzie Borden and Joann Gilliam as Emma Borden. Sasha Nikolaevna Manxetti is Bridgett Sullivan. The band is made up of Audrey Oden and Rebekah Stafford on guitar, Taylor Yancey on bass, and Jet Hoffman on drums. Jude Caminos serves as Music Director and is on keys.

LIZZIE runs August 18th-19th at The Tower Theatre in OKC. Tickets are available now.

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