'SILENCE THE MUSICAL!' To Scare Up 2010 London Run, Gattelli to Direct

Silence! the Musical, the unauthorized parody of The Silence of the Lambs that was presented as part of the ninth annual New York International Fringe Festival, is set for a UK mounting.

Silence! the Musical will run at London's Above the Stag Theatre, from January 19th through February 28th, 2010. 

Composed by brothers Jon and Al Kaplan, with a book by Hunter Bell, 'Silence!' will be directed and choreographed by 2008 Tony nominee for Best Choreography for South Pacific, Christopher Gattelli.

Gattelli helmed the show's 2005 debut at FringeNYC. The musical gleefully spoofs the 1991 Oscar-winning film and was the winner of the 2005 FringeNYC award for Outstanding Musical. In the Silence! the Musical, the action "is narrated by a Greek chorus of lambs, and everyone breaks out into cheerful showtunes about the most horrific of subjects."

Peter Bull and Victoria Lang will produce the London run. The production features all of the songs found on the popular website for the show,www.silencethemusical.com, as well as new numbers for Clarice, Dr. Chilton, and other characters, previously unheard anywhere. 

The 2005 FringeNYC cast starred Tony-nominee Paul Kandel (The Who's Tommy, Shockheaded Peter) in the grisly role of cannibal Hannibal Lecter, while Jenn Harris (Lucille Lortel Award winner for Modern Orthodox) won the coveted role of his adversary Clarice Starling. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee's Lisa Howard was abductee Catherine Martin.

The cast featured Stephen Bienskie as Buffalo Bill, Deirdre Goodwin as Ardelia Mapp, Howard Kaye as Jack Crawford, Harry Bouvy as asylum warden Dr. Chilton, and Jeff Hiller as Sgt. Pempbry.

Jon and Al Kaplan, two brothers struggling to break into Los Angeles' competitive film composing industry, wrote Silence! The Musical as a labor of love in 2003. At first a diversion, the songs made their way online. Aided by enthusiastic word of mouth and a mention on Entertainment Weekly's Must List, the music acquired a strong cult following. The FringeNYC production marked the first time the piece received a production of any kind.

The Above the Stag Theatre's address is 15 Bressenden Place, London. For tickets, all priced £12, visit www.abovethestag.com.

Photo by Ben Strothmann.

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