Early Buzz: The Happiest Song Plays Last
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes presents the final installment of her “Elliot” trilogy, The Happiest Song Plays Last, in New York City this winter. The New York premiere at Second Stage Theatre, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, follows the play’s world premiere in Chicago last spring at the Goodman Theatre. The second chapter of the trio, Water by the Spoonful, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2012.
Hudes’ trilogy revolves around Elliot Ruiz, a young Puerto Rican soldier from Northern Philadelphia. In The Happiest Song Plays Last two narratives unfold at locations worlds apart. The first takes place on a movie set in Jordan, where Elliot (Armando Riesco), a decorated Iraq War veteran, relives the trauma of war while filming a war-themed docudrama. The second storyline is set in a soup kitchen back in Elliot’s hometown, where his generous cousin, Yaz (Dexter‘s Lauren Velez), works and unwittingly falls in love with a local musician. The production is accompanied by Puerto Rican folk music composed by Grammy Award nominee Nelson González.
TICKETS
$60 – $125 (click here for tickets)
DATES
February 11 – March 23, 2014
LOCATION
Second Stage Theater
305 West 43rd Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
2 hours and 25 minutes, one intermission
REVIEWS
TBA (opening night scheduled for March 3, 2014)
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Written by Quiara Alegria Hudes
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Featuring Anthony Chisholm, Dariush Kashani, Tony Plana, Armando Riesco, Lauren Velez, and Annapurna Sriram