Three-Ways Gone Wrong

Musical theater gets a bad rap. It’s not all belting Oz witches and dainty Disney princesses. Though a lot of the genre panders to the family crowd, new musicals continue pushing the boundaries of the form, bringing sex appeal, thrills, and powerful lyrics to the fold. Murder Ballad is the latest risqué piece presented by Actors’ Playhouse, a venue that’s no stranger to staging complex stories. The telling of a love triangle gone wrong, Murder Ballad centers on Sara, a well-to-do member of New York’s Upper West Side whose downtown past tempts and torments her. The show is set to a contemporary pop-rock score, and audiences will get up close and personal with the onstage sizzle with seating inside the Balcony Theatre, now transformed into the Lower East Side Bar. Murder Ballad is co-written by Jonathan Larson Award winner and two-time Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist Julia Jordan and indie rock singer/songwriter Juliana Nash. Directed by David Arisco, the sexy new musical features four musical theater talents: Blythe Gruda as Sara; Chris Crawford as the bartender, Tom; Mariand Torres as the narrator; and Next to Normal’s Mark Sanders as Sara’s husband, Michael. The cast portrays the complications of love and how betrayal can undo even the strongest bonds. Murder Ballad opened October 8 and plays through November 2 at Actors’ Playhouse (280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables), with evening performances held Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $45 for weeknights and matinees and $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings. The theater offers a 10 percent senior discount the day of performance and $15 student rush tickets 15 minutes prior to curtain with ID. Group discounts are offered for 15 or more. Single tickets may be purchased through the box office at 305-444-9293 or online at actorsplayhouse.org.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Starts: Oct. 8. Continues through Nov. 2, 2014