Hands on a Hard Body

Hands on a Hard Body is playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (located at 256 West 47th street). It runs two hours twenty minutes with one intermission. This is an open ended show.

The show is inspired by true events and is based on S. R. Bindler and Kevin Morris 1997 documentary of the same name. The competition took place in Longview, Texas. The film follows the 1995 competition that lasted 72 continuous hours.

The musical had its world premiere at the La Jolla Theatre in San Diego. It ran from May 12 2012 to June 17, 2012.

Doug Wright is the playwright. He won the Pulitzer Prize, The Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for “I Am My Own Wife” in 2004. Doug also received a Tony and Drama Desk nominations for the Broadway musical “Grey Gardens” (2007).

Christine Jones is the scenic designer. She won a Tony Award in 2010 for “American Idiot”. In 2007 she was nominated for a Tony for “Spring Awakening”.

Kevin Adams is the lighting designer. He has won three Tony Awards for Best Lighting in 2010 “American Idiot”, 2008 for “The 39 Steps” and 2007 for “Spring Awakening”.

Keith Carradine was nominated for a Tony Award in 1991 for “The Will Rogers Follies”. He was in the original cast of the 1969 “Hair”. Keith won an Oscar for best Original Song in 1975 for “I’m Easy” (Nashville).

Mary Gordon Murray was nominated for a Tony Award for “Little Me” in 1982.

The setting is the Floyd King Nissan Dealership, Longview, Texas.

Mike Ferris (Jim Newman) is holding a contest at his car dealership. His assistant Cindy Barnes (Connie ray) pulls ten peoples name from a container. Six men and four women are to keep one hand at all times on a red pickup truck. The last person standing wins the $20,000.00 truck. They get a fifteen minute break every couple of hours. It is hot and getting hotter.

This is a big deal in the town. It draws people from all over Texas. The dealership sells cars and the town makes money too.

The story revolves around each contestant and why they are there. In between there are conversations between each contestant.

I won’t tell you the story or who won the contest. Why spoil it, it’s worth seeing.

The set is plain. There is a worn out bill board in the background. The back of the stage is painted to look like the sky with clouds. There is new pick up in the center of the stage. On the right is Mikes office.

The dance routines aren’t fancy but it’s amazing how the cast moves around without taking their hands off the car.

Hunter Foster, Keala Settle and Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone are outstanding as the contestants determined to win but at what cost.

This is a fun show to see. You might even route for the contestant you like to win.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.