Yeast Nation
2007 musical by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis
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Yeast Nation (The Triumph of Life) is a musical that premiered in 2007, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis.[1] It serves as the first part of a musical trilogy, with the middle installment being Hollmann and Kotis' previous Tony Award-winning musical Urinetown and the final installment being Welcome to Space. [2]
Greg Kotis
| Yeast Nation (The Triumph of Life) | |
|---|---|
Promotional image for the 2014 production | |
| Music | Mark Hollmann |
| Lyrics | Mark Hollmann Greg Kotis |
| Book | Greg Kotis |
| Premiere | October 5, 2007: Perseverance Theatre, Juneau, Alaska, United States |
Plot
Productions
Yeast Nation had its debut run from October 5 to November 3, 2007 at the Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska, under the direction of PJ Paparelli.[5] The musical was next produced in 2009 by the American Theater Company in Chicago, again under the direction of Paparelli.[6]
It was then part of the 2011 New York International Fringe Festival, where it was awarded the FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award for overall production of a musical.[7][8] The cast included Harriet Harris (as Jan-the-Unnamed), Kimiko Glenn (as The New One), Manu Narayan (as Jan-the-Wise), Joy Suprano (as Jan-the-Sly), and Rick Crom (as Jan-the-Youngest).[9] The musical has since been staged by Ray of Light Theatre in San Francisco in 2014, and New Line Theatre in St. Louis in June 2018.[10][11]
The European premiere was staged at Off-West End at the Southwark Playhouse, London from July 22, 2022 to August 27,2022, directed by Benji Sperring.[12] The production received mixed to negative reviews, with The Guardian giving it one star, calling it "a defeat for theatre", criticizing the lyrics and overall production as a "swampy mess."[13]
History
Hollmann and Kotis had publicly discussed their efforts in working on a Urinetown sequel or prequel as early as 2004.[14] A private industry reading of an early draft of the show was performed at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City on October 21, 2005.[15] Urinetown alums Hunter Foster and Nancy Opel were among the cast, and the private performance was directed by John Rando.
Cast and characters
| Character | NY Fringe 2011[16] | San Francisco 2014[17] | St. Louis 2018[18] | London 2022[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-the-Elder | George McDaniel | Danny Cozart | Zachary Allen Farmer | Christopher Howell |
| Jan-the-Second-Oldest | Erik Altemus | Kevin Singer | Dominic Dowdy-Windsor | Stephen Lewis-Johnston |
| Jan-the-Famished | Jennifer Blood | Juliana Lustenader | Jennelle Gilreath | Marisa Harris |
| Jan-the-Sly | Joy Suprano | Teresa Attridge | Grace Langford | Mari McGinlay |
| Jan-the-Sweet | Emily Tarpey | Courtney Merrell | Larissa White | Hannah Nuttall |
| Jan-the-Unnamed | Harriet Sansom Harris | Heather Orth | Sarah Dowling | Sarah Slimani |
| Jan-the-Wise | Manu Narayan | Mischa Stephens | Micheal Lowe | Shane Convery |
| Jan-the-Wretched | Rick Crom | Roy Eikleberry | Keith Thompson | James Gulliford |
| Jan-the-Youngest | David Glazer | Colin Dowd | ||
| The New One | Kimiko Glenn | Mary Kalita | Lex Ronan | Sarah Slimani |
Musical numbers
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Reception
Variety gave a positive review to the 2009 Chicago production, saying that Hollmann and Kotis "toy with storytelling cliches to make them both function dramatically and seem fresh."[6] The New York Times wrote of the 2011 Fringe Festival production that "The jokes veer from broad to brainy, and Mark Hollmann’s music is rock pastiche, but this is the rare satire that knows precisely what it’s sending up and commits to it."[20] TalkinBroadway.com said of the 2014 San Francisco production that "the concept, execution, cast and design are all well done," but that the show "still looks like a work in progress."[21]