OVERVIEW
1986 East Berlin. Dean Reed is one of the biggest selling record artists behind the Iron Curtain while no-one in his Colorado hometown knows his name. The darling of Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War is desperate to become famous in the USA. Tonight he has to give the performance of his life.
Comrade Rockstar is a new original musical based on the remarkable true story of Dean Reed. During the Cold War many Russians and East Germans believed Reed was the most famous American in the world. A pop star, film star and heart- throb, he brought to the Eastern bloc an idea of Hollywood glamour married with communist ideology.
PRODUCTION
In October 2015 a concert version took place at the Ivy Theatre, Guildford School of Acting, and streamed worldwide. The cast comprised West End stars, alumni, students and staff including Tim Howar, Andy Conaghan, Caroline Sheen, Kim Ismay, Lucy Schaufer, Nicola Blackman, Orla Gormley, and Yvette Robinson. A recording of songs from the show, featuring this cast, was also produced.
The musical is now ready for production. If you are interested in the musical use the 'Find Out More' button below
REVIEWS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘the show pushes forward the boundaries of the biographical musical in its creative blend of fact and fiction…an ironic spin on the mythologising that inevitably accrues around any celebrity of pop culture.’ Musical Theatre Review
‘Comrade Rockstar represents an excellent contribution to new musical theatre, and one that I hope will soon receive the more extended performance run in fully staged form that it unquestionably warrants.’ Musical Theatre Review
REVIEWS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘As a rock musical, it has genuine guts and a score that from time to time tore into the frame.’ Surrey Advertiser
‘Reed was a resistible personality but his story is compelling, with strands of dysfunction, manipulation, East/West politics and fan worship, tightly twisting into an evening that at time teetered on the brink of ‘thriller’ Surrey Advertiser
‘I loved it and wish the show well’ Surrey Advertiser
★ ★ ★ ★ "the creative team behind this show should be applauded for putting out a surprisingly visceral and inviting cast recording … some good tunes that might as well have been from Dean Reed’s era grant some authenticity to the show … I would be interested in seeing a full-scale production in the future." LondonTheatre1