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‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ finds a Broadway berth

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One of the new Broadway season’s first major awards contenders will be rolling into its new home in September.

The emo-musical ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,’ which recently received an acclaimed run at the Public Theater, will begin performances Sept. 21 at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre, according to producers. They did not specify an official opening date.

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‘Jackson’ was produced at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in 2008 before transferring to the Public. The Broadway version of the show is being produced by L.A.’s Center Theatre Group, the Public, and ‘Hair’ producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel.[Updated: A previous version of this story omitted the Public Theater as one of the Broadway producers.]

Alex Timbers of the group Les Freres Corbusier wrote the show and is returning to direct the Broadway production. Timbers staged the show at the Kirk Douglas and at the Public Theatre. Michael Friedman penned the music and the lyrics.

The off-beat musical follows a version of our seventh president -- nicknamed Old Hickory -- to explore themes surrounding American-style populism and politics. In a review of the Kirk Douglas Theatre production of the show, Times critic Charles McNulty wrote that ‘the lunatic conviction of the ensemble compensates for many of the deficiencies in the material. Energy is a great theatrical equalizer. And Timbers revs his game young cast into rapid-fire delirium.’

Actor Benjamin Walker, who plays the title character, is also returning for the Broadway run. Walker reportedly turned down a role in the next ‘X-Men’ film to stay on with the musical. -- David Ng

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