BRAT Productions to Stage THE LID During Fringe Arts Festival

BRAT Productions, Philadelphia's go-to source for rock 'n roll and theater hybrid performance events, kicks off their 20th season by producing The Lid during the 2015 Fringe Festival. This world premiere theatrical rock opera, written by emerging Philadelphia singer songwriter Pat Finnerty, features 14 originally penned British invasion songs. What's underneath the lid? Will it change our mundane existence or be more of the same old same old? Find out on Friday September 4, 2015 at 9:00pm (featuring a special after party set by Philadelphia favorite Black Landlord); Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 11:00pm and Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 8:00pm. All performances will be held at the Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St, Philadelphia, PA. Tickets are on sale now for $20, or $15 for students and 25 and under, at www.fringearts.org (FringeArts members save 30%).

The Lid tells the story of Lee (Pat Finnerty), a man who lives a "no fun" life trudging back and forth between his simple boring house and his simple boring job working for The Moustache Man (Brian Ashby). Lee's world is "all fish and no chips," "all bones and no meat," until one day he discovers a lid in a meadow. What's underneath that lid? A chance to break the drudgery and finally have fun or just more of the same old same old? The story is told through 14 original songs that blend 1960's inspired Brit rock melodies with irreverent comic satire. Finnerty thinks of The Lid as a concept album that allows him to address a larger creative thesis about our modern day struggles looking for significance while becoming increasingly more dependent on imperfect technologies to get through our days.

Rock siren Ali Wadsworth (Satellite Hearts, Unlikely Cowboy) and BRAT Producing Artistic Director Jess Conda are featured as Finnerty's back up singers and are also working with Finnerty offstage co-producing and directing the show. The cast includes Pat Finnerty, Jess Conda, Ali Wadsworth, Brian Ashby (The Teeth, Purples), Brian Langan (Langor, Needle Points, Kock 107, The Sw!ms, Sweatheart, Rose Luardo (Comedy Dreamz, Sweatheart), Gretchen Lohse (Yellow Humphrey) and script consultation by Bob Babajak.

This collaboration brings Philly's indie rock music community directly into the heart of the theater community in a way that only BRAT Productions can, creating a performance art experience that is authentically rock and roll. "If the pattern of BRAT's recent work has been turning theater people into rock and rollers, this time around we're taking rock and rollers and turning them into theater people," said Conda.

Conda met Finnerty at a house party this spring at Wadsworth's house in Fishtown. This meeting sparked conversations about how Pat had always wanted to turn The Lid into a theatrically staged production. With Fringe on the horizon, and BRAT poised as a promoter of rock and roll based theater, it was the perfect time for BRAT to produce this rock-theater event with Finnerty. "Pat is a textbook BRAT artist: he writes with brutal deadpan honesty and then filters those feelings through pure joyfulness and rock and roll showmanship," added Conda. "This show is a real return to that 'Old School BRAT' feeling--comedy, sex, and beer soaked social commentary set to virtuosic rock musicianship. It's also a return to our favorite digs at Underground Arts, plus a chance to introduce this very tall creative talent to the theater and music communities."

The Lid is a result of Finnerty's creative riffing on the road while touring and spending hours in the tour van. "When touring in a van, there's not much left to do once the combos run out, said Finnerty. " I used to go into an English accent and tell a story in the van about a guy who found a lid in a meadow. The band enjoyed it. I wrote the first song because I had recently got a new computer and wanted to record something. I wrote another one because I really enjoyed singing in the accent, and then the story just kind of appeared. I wrote the other 12 because I love The Beatles, The Kinks, and comedy."

All performances will be held at the Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St, Philadelphia, PA. Tickets are on sale now for $20, or $15 for students and 25 and under, at www.fringearts.org (FringeArts members save 30%). Audiences 21 and up only with identification.

For more information, visit www.Bratproductions.org, follow on twitter.com/Bratproductions, and like on www.facebook.com/Bratproductions.

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