Hands on a Hardbody 2013

Opened: March 21, 2013
Closing: April 13, 2013

Hands on a Hardbody - 2013 - Broadway History , Info & More

For ten hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand new truck in order to win it. In the hilarious, hard-fought contest that is HANDS ON A HARDBODY only one winner can drive away with the American Dream.



The world premiere production of HANDS ON A HARDBODY opened on May 12, 2012 at La Jolla Playhouse.

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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Hands on a Hardbody

'Hands on a Hardbody' review: It's a slog
5 / 10

'Hands on a Hardbody' may well be the best musical ever written about 10 people holding onto a parked truck. But if you go into the show wondering why a gifted creative team would want to adapt the 1997 documentary about poor Texans in an endurance contest for a red Nissan pickup, you are likely to leave wondering the same thing.

Theater review: ‘Hands on a Hardbody’
6 / 10

Loaded with a cabful of fine performers, this song-laced lament about surviving hard times offers a decent ride. So much so that you wish it were better, tighter and carried a more affecting payoff. As is, it's a bit of a missed opportunity.

BWW Flashback: HANDS ON A HARDBODY Leaves Broadway, Drives Into Sunset
by BWW Special Coverage - April 13, 2013

HANDS ON A HARDBODY will play its final performance tonight, April 13, 2013, after playing 28 preview and 28 regular performances at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Hands on a Hardbody began previews on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and officially opened on Thursday, March 21, 2013. Below, BroadwayWorld takes you back through HANDS ON A HARDBODY's journey from La Jolla to Broadway!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Jon Rua
by Walter McBride - April 13, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Jon Rua in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone
by Walter McBride - April 12, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Jay Armstrong Johnson
by Walter McBride - April 11, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Jay Armstrong Johnson in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Keala Settle
by Walter McBride - April 11, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Keala Settle in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBBODY's Dale Soules
by Walter McBride - April 12, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Dale Soules in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Jacob Ming-Trent
by Walter McBride - April 13, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Jacob Ming-Trent in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

Breaking News: HANDS ON A HARDBODY to Close on Broadway, April 13
by BWW News Desk - April 8, 2013

HANDS ON A HARDBODY will play its final performance on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 8pm after playing 28 preview and 28 regular performances at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). HANDS ON A HARDBODY began previews on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and officially opened on Thursday, March 21, 2013.

In The Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Keith Carradine
by Walter McBride - April 8, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Keith Carradine in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

Review - Hands On A Hardbody: They Shoot Documentaries, Don't They?
by Michael Dale - April 3, 2013

'Don't make any judgments. / Let The Players play,' sing the characters of Hands On A Hardbody out to an audience sitting in seats priced at what might be the same amount as the weekly unemployment checks some of them are struggling to survive on.

'Get Your HANDS on a Ticket to HARDBODY' and Save!
by BWW News Desk - April 4, 2013

Don't miss the all-new, all-American musical that just drove onto Broadway, HANDS ON A HARDBODY. Inspired by true events, and infused with a 'fresh roots-rock vibe' (The New York Times), this is the hilarious, hard-fought contest where only one winner can drive away with the American dream. If you haven't seen it yet, get your hands on a ticket today!

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Hunter Foster
by Walter McBride - April 3, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out photos of Hunter Foster in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As with Your Favorite Broadway Stars- Allison Case
by BWW - March 29, 2013

In this week's edition, we caught up with Allison Case, who is starring as 'Kelli Mangrum' in Hands on a Hardbody- currently playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- William Youmans Talks Don Curtis!
by Nicole Rosky - April 2, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, William Youmans discusses his real-life counterpart- Don Curtis.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Hunter Foster Talks Benny Perkins!
by Nicole Rosky - April 8, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in this final video of the series, Hunter Foster discusses his real-life counterpart- Benny Perkins.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Jacob Ming-Trent Talks Ronald McCowan!
by Nicole Rosky - April 5, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Jacod Ming-Trent discusses his real-life counterpart- Ronald McCowan.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Connie Ray Talks Jan Maynard!
by Nicole Rosky - April 3, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Connie Ray discusses her real-life counterpart- Cindy Barnes.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Mary Gordon Murray Talks Virginia Drew!
by Nicole Rosky - April 4, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Mary Gordon Murray discusses her real-life counterpart- Virginia Drew.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Keith Carradine Talks JD Drew!
by Nicole Rosky - March 31, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Keith Carradine discusses his real-life counterpart- JD Drew.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Keala Settle Talks Norma Valverde!
by Nicole Rosky - March 30, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Keala Settle discusses her real-life counterpart- Norma Valverde.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Dale Soules Talks Janis Curtis!
by Nicole Rosky - April 2, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Dale Soules discusses her real-life counterpart- Janis Curtis.

BWW TV Exclusive: The Real Contestants of HANDS ON A HARDBODY- Allison Case Talks Kelli Mangrum!
by Nicole Rosky - March 29, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Inspired by true events and based on the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical tells the story of ten Texans with dreams of changing their lives by winning a truck. BroadwayWorld recently chatted with the show's stars about bringing the stories of real people to life on the Broadway stage, and in the video below, Allison Case discusses her real-life counterpart- Kelli Mangrum.

Twitter Watch: Hunter Foster- 'Barrack Obama Loves HANDS ON A HARDBODY'
by BWW - March 26, 2013

On Twitter Watch, Hunter Foster wrote ' What better way to start the day? A HARD boiled egg and tix to @HardbodyMusical! Come see our show!'

In the Spotlight Series: HANDS ON A HARDBODY's Creative Team
by Walter McBride - March 25, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night on March 21, at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street). Check out phtoos of the creative team in the BroadwayWorld.com series 'In The Spotlight' by acclaimed photographer Walter McBride below!

BWW TV: HANDS ON A HARDBODY Cast Talks Trucks, Texas and the American Dream on Opening Night!
by Nicole Rosky - March 24, 2013

The new American musical Hands on a Hardbody just celebrated opening night ON March 21, at Broadway's Brooks AtkinsonTheatre (256 West 47th Street). BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge was there for the festivities to chat with the cast and creative team about the new musical, and you can check out what they had to say below!

Hands on a Hardbody FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hands on a Hardbody has had 1 productions including Broadway which opened in 2013.
Hands on a Hardbody has been nominated for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre for Trey Anastasio and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre for Amanda Green.
Hands on a Hardbody has been nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Book of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Doug Wright, Outstanding Choreography (Drama Desk Awards) for Sergio Trujillo, Outstanding Lyrics (Drama Desk Awards) for Amanda Green, Outstanding Music (Drama Desk Awards) for Trey Anastasio, Outstanding Musical (Drama Desk Awards), Outstanding Orchestrations (Drama Desk Awards) for Trey Anastasio, Outstanding Orchestrations (Drama Desk Awards) for Don Hart, Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Steve Canyon Kennedy, Outstanding New Broadway Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards), Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) (Outer Critics Circle Awards), and Theatre World Award (Theatre World Awards) for Keala Settle.
Hands on a Hardbody has won several awards including Outstanding Book of a Musical, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Lyrics, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Orchestrations, and Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards. The show also won Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Additionally, Keala Settle received the Theatre World Award at the Theatre World Awards for her performance in the show.

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