''Kid Victory'' is a musical with the story by

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Cab ...

and Greg Pierce, and music by John Kander, book and lyrics by Greg Pierce, co-produced by

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is a 120-seat Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give ...

and Signature Theatre.

Production

The musical premiered at the Signature Theatre,

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

from February 17 to March 22, 2015.''Kid Victory''
Signature Theatre The show was subsequently reworked and performed

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the

from February 1, 2017 to March 19, 2017.''Kid Victory''
Vineyard Theatre Direction was by Liesl Tommy with choreography by Christopher Windom. Its 2017 showing was described by its producers as a "hauntingly mesmerizing original musical" about "breaking out and breaking through".

Background

Kander and Pierce met when Kander visited students at his alma mater,

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

, where Pierce was a student. They kept in touch as Pierce graduated, moved to New York, and began his career in theater, acting and writing. The two wrote a chamber musical together, ''The Landing,'' which ran Off-Broadway in 2013. For ''Kid Victory'', they looked at many kidnapping cases. Kander observed :"I think the thing that appealed was that there’s nothing about adjusting back into life, or very little in terms of our research. When you think about it, that’s the main thing. Terrible things happen to people, but what happens then? How do you manage? Who do you become?"

Plot

17 year old high school senior and sailboat enthusiast Luke returns to his small, Kansas town after an unplanned, unannounced one-year absence. Luke finds it difficult to reconnect with friends and family or to focus on school work. He experiences recurrent flashbacks of his year-long absence and the events and relationship leading up to it. Luke had been communicating on the internet with Michael; his screen name was "Kid Victory". As he tries to readjust, Luke develops a growing friendship with the town misfit, divorcee Emily. His parents, Eileen and Joseph, finally understand that to reconnect with their son, they must confront unnerving truths about his disappearance.

Casts

Sources: Playbill;Franklin, Marc J
"Meet the Cast of 'Kid Victory' at the Vineyard Theatre"
Playbill, January 5, 2017 BroadwayWorld

Songs

''Note: Songs listed as performed in the Off-Broadway production, 2017'' *Lord, Carry Me Home *A Single Tear *Plain White Card *Lawn *You Are the Marble *I'll Marry the Man *People Like Us *Vinland *Not Quite True *There Was a Boy *Dear Mara *I'd Rather Wait *Regatta 500 *What's the Point *You, If Anyone *Where We Are

Critical response

''Kid Victory'' at the Signature Theatre was reviewed by ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...

''. The reviewer wrote: "This is dark material, made no less traumatic by the fact that this is, after all, a musical. The songs by Mr. Kander and Mr. Pierce vacillate between the morbid and the light of foot... Liesl Tommy’s direction takes full advantage of the Signature’s expansive stage, allowing her to block multiple scenes simultaneously, often in inspired counterpoint. This has the effect of giving the audience a choice of where to direct attention and seeks active participation...the story and the production are strangely lacking in empathy between material and audience.". For its 2017 production, ''Kid Victory'' was reviewed by ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' and by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...

in his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' of the Off-Broadway production, wrote: "...the subject of 'Kid Victory' feels especially unpromising for any musical that doesn’t aspire to grim, grand (guignol) opera or creepy camp. And this latest teaming of Mr. Kander and Mr. Pierce ... definitely has other aspirations, toward a laudable but elusive psychology delicacy... Mr. Kander mines a number of musical veins, including the jaunty jazz and vaudeville pastiches for which he is best known, with results that are scattered, a bit bewilderingly, among the characters."

Awards and nominations

The Off-Broadway production received 2017 nominations: *

Lucille Lortel Awards The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

— Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Karen Ziemba *

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

— Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical *

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

— Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Jeffry Denman * Chita Rivera Awards — Outstanding Male Dancer in an Off-Broadway Show, Blake ZolfoMcPhee, Ryan
" 'Bandstand', 'Sweet Charity', and More Earn Chita Rivera Award Nominations"
Playbill, May 1, 2017

References

External links

Internet Off-Broadway Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kid Victory 2015 musicals Off-Broadway musicals One-act musicals Musicals set in Kansas LGBTQ-related musicals