“Life sucks. My life sucks in particular…The blood will bleed out…I’m gonna be that guy.” This is what comes out of the mouth of a whiny young male dressed bottom down in tight black pants, loose chains, and glossy boots, who goes by the name of Andrew Jackson. If that name rings a bell, it is because our “rock star” seventh president is the title role in Center Theatre Group’s latest “emo” musical, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.”

The stage is filled with “American Old West” glass case-enclosed museum artifacts, including the eye-catching one with fake Indians in their native landscape that lines the back wall. The cowboys and Southern girls have come alive within their parlor, slow dancing around the alligator-on-display and singing with the man at the piano. In rolls our awkward, teddy bear sweater-wearing tour guide of the modern age to begin the story of Andrew Jackson. Lights line the stage and run along its sides, blinding the audience’s eyes as the man-of-the-hour steps into the spotlight to take his mic.

There is no doubt that “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is eclectic, attempting to meld serious historical topics with lowbrow rock culture, but it is also memorable. Writer/director Alex Timbers and composer/lyricist Michael Friedman aimed for the grown-up version of the familiar, Saturday morning “Schoolhouse Rock,” and somewhere along the way got sidetracked. Nevertheless, with support from Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, who discovered “something inherently ‘hip’ in a contemporary rock musical about one of our most controversial and fascinating presidents,” “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” has arrived at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Fashioned after the rock genre, “emo,” the music of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is reminiscent of bands like Saves the Day and Dashboard Confessional, who pour their hearts out in lyrical numbers backed by piano, drums, and guitar. In particular, the band leader in “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” Gabriel Kahane—assisted by Charlie Rosen on bass guitar, Mike Schadel on drums, and Ben Steinfeld on guitar—does justice to an otherwise static and painful garage quartet. They prove themselves to be an incredibly talented bunch.

Unlike the morose mentality of traditional emo music, Friedman imbues a much more light-hearted tone unto his young-sounding music, which—if it were not for subject matter—would put the production at a borderline high school level. Songs range from the play’s anthem about democracy and unrequited love, “Populism, Yea, Yea,” to the effusive song in which Jackson cuts himself, draining his blood into a bowl as his wife sings, “Why Do I Feel Sick When I Look at You?”

The production starts out sort of fun and improvisational—The camaraderie of the cast is evident and the musical quotation of the Spice Girls introducing the gaudy and ridiculous Parliament foursome galvanizes laughter in the audience. Nevertheless, along the way, the plot takes a sudden turn into serious territory. Jackson’s cutting himself to a number by Cher becomes less funny and more unnecessary, and the references to President Bush grow a tad worn-out. Nevertheless, by the end, Andrew Jackson represents a depressed and rejected human being whom the audience feels closer to.

Standing tall with a faux-hawk and tight pants hugging his lengthy legs, Andrew Jackson announces, mic in hand, “I’m calling it the Democratic Party, and party we will!” Juillard grad and New York native, Benjamin Walker as the rebel cowboy Andrew Jackson showcases raw talent in his depiction of the emotional president who is constantly whining and stomping offstage when he doesn’t get his way. Walker even displays a nice voice against the interspersed screams and angry instrumental back-up.

Supporting Jackson is a cast of young talent adorned in skate shoes, horn-rimmed glasses, and black dyed long fringe bangs brushed to one side. With graduates from the Yale School of Drama, Brown University, and Universite de Paris, Sobonne, to name a few, the cast of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” are truly skilled actors. Brian Hostenske as Van Buren infuses some humor onto the stage as the plot grows more sober. Adam O’Byrne as the thick-Southern-accented Calhoun proves to be humorous as well. “10 Little Indians” sung by female soloist Erin Felgar makes you want to stomp your foot to the beat as you smile in your chair.

Overall, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is quirky and entertaining all at once—just the emo musical you were looking for!

Danielle Jacoby

Photo Credit: Craig Schwartz