Zachary James Headlines THE WORLD STILL NEEDS YOU, BORIS YELTSIN! at 54 Below
The performance is on June 11, 2025.
On June 11, 2025, 54 Below will present a one-night-only concert of The World Still Needs You, Boris Yeltsin!, a sharp, satirical musical comedy set in a Houston grocery store during the Cold War. Leading the cast is Grammy Award-winning Zachary James (The Addams Family, Hadestown, Akhnaten), portraying the title role of Boris Yeltsin at 54 Below
The cast also includes DeShawn Bowens (Mean Girls national tour, Dog Man: The Musical off-Broadway) as the Rent-A-Cop, Kennedy Kanagawa (Into the Woods) as the Clerk, Eryn LeCroy (1776, The Phantom of the Opera), and Jonathan Raviv (The Band's Visit), with Olivia Brice, Charlie Roppolo, and Markia Smith in the ensemble and Ruiran Xun (The Jonathan Larson Project) as Music Director.
Directed by Jen Wineman (Dog Man the Musical, FIVE), the concert is produced by creators Evan Mack (2024 American Prize Winner in Theater, Opera, and Dance), Joshua McGuire, and Christopher Mirto. This performance is part of the New Musicals at 54 series, showcasing emerging works by today's most talented writers
This show is unlike anything else out there—absurd, poignant, and musically electric," says Evan Mack. ”It's about rewriting legacy, facing our demons, and finding truth in the most unexpected places—like aisle seven of a Texas supermarket.”
Jen Wineman adds, "The World Still Needs You, Boris Yeltsin!" is a theatrical fever dream that somehow manages to be laugh-out-loud funny and deeply human all at once. I'm thrilled to bring this piece to life with such a phenomenal cast."
Audiences can expect a wildly imaginative score and storyline featuring original songs like “Wanna Feel Real,” “9-12-ish,” and “Demons Out,” blending 1980s Americana with political absurdity and vodka-fueled chaos.
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