TWELVE ANGRY MEN: A New Musical

TWELVE ANGRY MEN: A New Musical

Music and lyrics by Michael Holland 
Book by David Simpatico 
Adapted from the play by Reginald Rose 

World Premiere production, Theater Latte Da, Summer, 2022
Directed by Peter Rothstein
Music direction by Denise Prosek

Theater Latté Da is thrilled to develop and produce the world premiere of this new American musical adapted from one of America’s greatest dramas.

In a small New York City jury room, on “the hottest day of the year,” twelve men debate the fate of a young defendant charged with murdering his father. In form, TWELVE ANGRY MEN: A New Musical, is a courtroom drama; in purpose, it’s a crash course in those passages of the U.S. Constitution that promise defendants a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.

PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE: “A must-see musical…as close to flawless as it could be...

“Michael Holland’s jazzy, vocalese score feels like it’s about to step up to a bar and order a Tom Collins…Often driven by a walking bass line, often chorus-less, the tunes are syncopated and don’t resolve in the tidy way that most musical theater songs conclude. Appropriately, they create a tension not released until the jury decides the unseen defendant’s fate.”

“David Simpatico’s canny book finds its way into the hearts and minds of each character, half of them white and half people of color. They have a fair amount in common–they’re all men, all sons.”

PIONEER PRESS: “Holland takes for inspiration the bebop-inspired flights of fancy once navigated by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.“

“…some sizzling cool jazz.”

“…adaptation done right.”

TALKIN’ BROADWAY: “In a word…phenomenal.”

“…always [Holland’s] songs expand our understanding of the complexity of issues raised within the play.”

‘Holland’s score takes its cues from the jazz one might hear in louche supper clubs back in the 1950s, rife with scat vocalizing and twisty melodies. I thought of the theme a young Henry Mancini wrote for the 1950s TV series “Peter Gunn” and vocals by the likes of Peggy Lee, Anita O’Day, and Louis Prima.” 

“…something very special.”

Production photos

Theater Latte Da World Premiere; photos by Dan Norman

Behind the Scenes/In-Process videos