Blues/Rock Opera THE MOBY DICK BLUES Begins Performances at La MaMa

The Forty Hour Club's world premiere of The Moby Dick Blues begins previews tonight! An epic new blues/rock opera written and created by Michael Gorman, directed by Joe John Battista, with original music by Battista and lyrics by Gorman, The Moby Dick Blues runs June 7 - 22, 2025 in a limited engagement at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre, located at 66 East 4th Street in New York City. Opening night is June 9.

"Think Trainspotting meets The Perfect Storm" in The Moby Dick Blues-a working class opera for our planet...for our times. Told through lyrics and live music that span the spectrum from blues, spoken word, rap and rock, this epic opera begs the question, "What was Ahab but an addict really, and what was the white whale but an allusion to opium, and heroin, its contemporary scourge." The opera's metaphor calls for a reevaluation of Ahab's vengeful obsession with the White Whale, and our own destructive relationship with nature, the environment and ourselves.

The past and future collide in a tale that stretches across generations and ancients-lost mariners, lost souls, lost lives-in this iconoclastic opera about a New England fishing community's daunting quest for survival and transformation in the face of the opiate crisis. When a troubled young sea captain cuts a Faustian bargain with a fisherman turned drug dealer, The Moby Dick Blues catapults us down to "the crossroads" where delusion becomes reality and livelihoods and traditions are tested in a high-stakes battle for the soul of a community.

The cast includes Alex Notkin, Teddy Lytle, Jim O'Brien, Sarah MacDonnell, Andrew Ryan Perry, Gabbi Beauvais, Shuhei Kinoshita, Kristy Beauvais, Daniel Yaiullo, Sam Rothermel, Sevin Ceviker, Tiera Lopper, Jeff Dylan Garrett, Jessica Phoenix, CREDLE, MoonSky, Charles Jourdan, Christian Neal and Henry Salvatore.

Musicians include Kavi Gaspar (Music Director/Pianist/Keyboard), Joe John Battista (Lead Guitar), Ron Raymond (Bass, Pedal Steel & Lap Steel Guitar), Zianni Orange (Drums) and Charles Jourdan (Rhythm Guitar).

The Production Team includes Obie award winner Donald Eastman / The Forty Hour Club (Set Installation & Design), Tony & Obie Award winner Christopher Akerlind (Light Design), Angela Wendt (Costume Design) multi-award winner & original costumer designer for RENT, Sara Gierc (Stage Manager), Mari Tompkins (Assistant Director), Kavi Gaspar (Music Director), Sarah Boyden (Associate Costume Design), Sevin Ceviker (Lead Choreography), Mackenna Goodrich (Song Choreography), Ian Fineman (Sound Design), Donna Daly (Production Manager/Producer) and Gregory de la Haba (Collaborating Artist).

Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm. Special opening night show on Monday, June 9 at 7pm. Run time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are $30 and $25 for students and seniors (includes fees). First ten tickets to every performance are $10 each, first come first served - in advance, online only. For more info and to purchase tickets visit https://www.lamama.org/the-moby-dick-blues.

The Forty Hour Club-founded by playwright and experimental theater artist Michael Gorman-is a theatrical production company based in Rockland, Maine, dedicated to original theatrical productions and installations that ask the question "To what consequence?" Their work focuses on the economic, environmental and systemic challenges facing working communities, and the paramount issue of sustainability. Formed by a collective of independent artists drawn predominantly from the trades, The Forty Hour Club embraces the collaborative spirit of the job-site to tackle major issues and bring an authentic working-world perspective to the stage. Their plays and productions have graced stages as lofty as The Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa in NYC, to the gritty loading docks of The Commercial Fish Exchange in Portland, Maine, and every level in between. For info visit https://www.fortyhourclub.com.

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