The Trial Of Andy Warhol

The Trial Of Andy Warhol

Everyone wants to be famous. It’s his fault. Ryan Raftery returns to Joe’s Pub for his sixth consecutive run, premiering his new celebrity biomusical comedy THE TRIAL OF ANDY WARHOL. Inspired by the classic film “It’s A Wonderful Life”, Raftery’s latest piece is an irreverent social commentary on modern society as we all feverishly chase our very own “fifteen minutes of fame.”

Ryan Raftery: The Trial Of Andy Warhol opens tonight (Sunday, February 20), and runs on varying dates through Saturday, March 12.

Raftery, called “a one-man musical juggernaut” by the New York Daily News, tells a tale that finds the most famous artist of the 20th century dead and on trial in the afterlife for his patented brand of celebrity worship that has influenced everything from Instagram to TMZ, from Jeff Koons to the Real Housewives. The prosecution calls several witnesses to the stand, including the ill-fated Edie Sedgewick (Suzy Jane Hunt) and former friend and collaborator Jean-Michel Basquiat (Devin Snow). The cast is rounded out with Warhol’s longtime friend Brigid Berlin (Jess Watkins) and a stern prosecutor (Miranda Noelle Wilson), determined to see Warhol convicted with a truly worse-than-death penalty inflicted upon him.

“We live in a society where everyone wants to be famous,” says Raftery. “Being known by strangers and amassing clicks and likes is the New American Dream and once you start paying attention, you see Andy’s touch is absolutely everywhere in modern society. From sharing pictures of your avocado toast at breakfast on your Instagram feed to the election of a television personality to President of the United States, there is no denying that Andy Warhol’s cultural impact has only gotten stronger in the years since his death.”

The stageplay and parody lyrics are written by Raftery, set to songs by artists as varied as Lady Gaga. Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Whitney Houston and Billy Joel. Story by Ryan Raftery & Jay Turton.  Stage direction is by Jay Turton, musical direction by James Rushin , and wig design by Isaac Davidson.

Ryan Raftery has appeared on television in Ugly Betty, What I Like About You, Malcolm in the Middle and, most memorably, on Law and Order: SVU, where he warmed hearts all across America as Dennis Faber, the lovable Amish teenager with measles. He has written 10 shows, including the solo shows “Ryan Raftery & Friends: A Solo Act” and “Ryan Raftery’s It Gets Worse.” His celebrity bio-musicals based on the lives of Anna Wintour, Andy Cohen, Martha Stewart, Calvin Klein and Ivanka Trump have sold out from coast to coast and have garnered praise in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and many others.

Tickets are available here.  To listen to Matinee click the play > button or ask your smart device to “play Matinee Radio”