ROCK & ROLL MAN is the original musical about a musical original. Alan Freed was a Cleveland DJ who heard the future—and knew he had to let it sing. He named the genre “Rock & Roll,” bringing music to the masses and integrating artists and audiences on the airwaves and in concerts for the first time in history. Along the way, he became an icon to the nation’s youth—and a target for the nation’s establishment.
In addition to explosive original songs written just for the stage, ROCK & ROLL MAN features classics created by legends such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Drifters, The Coasters, and The Platters, including genre-defying hits like “Tutti Frutti,” “Maybellene,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.”
Freed’s passion for music inspired the generation that changed society forever.
ROCK & ROLL MAN features a book by Gary Kupper (Freckleface Strawberry The Musical – Outer Critics Circle nomination), Larry Marshak (editor of Night Beat Magazine and Rock Magazine), and Rose Caiola ( Freckleface Strawberry The Musical – Outer Critics Circle nomination), original music and lyrics by Gary Kupper, vintage Rock & Roll elements developed by Marshak Classic Music LLC and Gary Kupper Music, direction by Tony Award® nominee Randal Myler ( It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues), and choreography by Stephanie Klemons (Associate Choreographer and Global Dance Supervisor of Hamilton).
ROCK & ROLL MAN completed its Off-Broadway run at New World Stages on September 1st, 2023.
