Noah Diamond, Sadrina Renee, and Amanda Sisk in Life After Bush. Photo by Tor-Evert Johanssen.
The Nero Fiddled musicals
are a series of political satires which Amanda Sisk and I wrote, produced, and directed during the George W. Bush years. A general production history is below, along with a selection of photos and video and audio clips.
Amanda Sisk and Noah Diamond outside HERE Arts Center during the run of Life After Bush, October 2008.
CITY UNDER SIEGE
The GOP...in NYC?!
Original Production: Under St. Marks, New York, October 2004
Cast: Amanda Sisk, Corey Moosa, Kim Moscaritolo, Noah Diamond, Brian Louis Hoffman
Written and Directed by Noah Diamond and Amanda Sisk
Scenes: "Swift Boat Veterans Who Are in Favor of Truth," "Republican Roundup," "Therapy," "Republigun," "Bob and Charlie," "Canadian Surprise," "Documents"
Songs: "The Creature," "Laura's Alphabet," "On the March"
BURNING BUSH:
A FAITH-BASED MUSICAL
Based on a presidency by Karl Rove.
Read "Burning Bush: Notes and Sources"
Original Production: HERE Arts Center, New York, September-October 2005
Cast: Amanda Sisk, Corey Moosa, Ellie Dvorkin*, Kim Moscaritolo, Noah Diamond, Brian Louis Hoffman*
*Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
Musical Arrangements and Band: Drew Brady, Mike Biskup, Steve Dans, Boris Veysman
Written and Directed by Noah Diamond and Amanda Sisk
Scenes: "I Cannot Tell the Truth," "The Facts," "Bush in Love," "Peenack," "The Pet Goat," "The Finger Report," "Working Vacation," "Fascist Parents," "11/2/04," "Passion of the Bush"
Songs: "Who's Bush," "Karl Rove," "The Creature," "Jesus's Jihad," "The Election Was Stolen," "You Voted Republican," "Alberto Gonzales," "On the March"
Presented through HERE's Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support.
MORAL VALUE MEAL
A hilarious comedy about the death of freedom in America.
Original Production: Urban Stages, New York, May 2006
Cast: Amanda Sisk, Corey Moosa, Ellie Dvorkin*, Kim Moscaritolo, Trixze Smith, Noah Diamond, Brian Louis Hoffman*
*Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
Musical Arrangements and Piano: D.J. Thacker
Written and Directed by Noah Diamond and Amanda Sisk
Scenes: "The Wedding," "Intelligent Design," "Save it for Later," "Pharmacist for Life," "Deep Inside Washington," "Roe v. Wade," "Abortionland," "The Education of Mopsy Jimenez- Tippington," "Santorum," "The McPatton Thing," "The Armor You Have," "Talking to the Pictures," "Culture of Life"
Songs: "Moral Value Meal," "For the Love of God," "The Creature," "Corporations Are People Too," "God Bless the G.O.P," "Moral Value Meal Finale"
LIFE AFTER BUSH
It's the end of an error.
Read "Life After Bush: Notes and Sources"
Original Production: HERE Arts Center, New York, October 17 - November 2, 2008
Cast: Tarik Davis, Noah Diamond, Brian Louis Hoffman*, Sadrina Johnson*, Kim Moscaritolo, Avi Phillips, Amanda Sisk
*Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
Written and Directed by Noah Diamond and Amanda Sisk
Musical Direction and Arrangements by DJ Thacker
Lighting Design by Christopher Brown
Sound Design by Matt Tennie
Publicity by Katie Rosin / Kampfire PR
Production Manager Blair Lampe
Scenes: "The Country Doctor," "The Work is Surging," "Bus Stop," "Under the Bed," "Spurning Bush," "Suckerpunch with Dick Memmons," "Triangulation," "Michelle Obama Makes Meringue Cookies," "Roe v. Wade / Abortionland," "Don't Ask," "Barack Obama is an Elitist," "Crisis of Faith"
Songs: "It's Been a Bad Eight Years," "I Wasn't Impeached," "Al Qaeda in Iraq," "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy," "Corporations Are People Too," "Hillary," "Perfect," "The American Dream"
Presented through HERE's Supported Artist Program, which provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as technical and administrative support.
"LIFE AFTER BUSH MAY BE TOO SMART!. . .with political reference points, cultural memes, and brilliant wordplay coming at machine-gun speed. . .An inspired, enlightening play!"
– ETHAN STANISLAWSKI, Blogcritics [Full review]
"PERCEPTIVE, FAIR, AND VERY, VERY FUNNY...The creators successfully prompt the audience to reevaluate their ideas and opinions...all while entertaining them with sharp, satiric comedy and music. It really is quite impressive that Diamond and Sisk were able to create such an elaborately staged and intricate work without sacrificing humor, invective or musical originality. It never feels heavy-handed and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, infusing the facts with a constant stream of laugh–out–loud material and catchy tunes."
– JESSICA KRAMER, Washington Square News [Full review]
“SMART SATIRE. . .A genuinely sunny celebration of the man who you fervently wish will become president. . .Sharp and biting. . .warm-hearted, funny, eager, and smart. Diamond and Sisk dazzle with the fresh ways they present familiar figures of satire. UNEXPECTEDLY MOVING …the rousing finale reminds us of exactly what we have to do on November 4.”
– MARTIN DENTON, nytheatre.com [Full review]
“THE SHOW IS ABLE TO MAKE CURRENT EVENTS SEEM FRESH AND INVIGORATING AGAIN, reminding us that, come what may, on election day,
we all have a responsibility to ensure that America is the best country it can be. . . Life After Bush is just what the doctor ordered to inject a bit of jazzy humor into the proceedings.”
– AMY FREEMAN, offoffonline.com [Full review]
“FUNNY AND STARTLING! What this reviewer took away from this musical comedy was the dire seriousness of this year’s election. . .For all its fun and bravado, Life After Bush never strays too far from actual reality. . . In Life After Bush there is humor, there is pathos, there is reason to laugh, there is reason to cry, but most important of all THERE IS REASON TO HOPE!”
– JESSE SCHMIDT, Two Doors Theatre [Full review]
“LIFE AFTER BUSH HAS ITS AUDIENCE LAUGHING PRETTY CONSISTENTLY FROM THE GET-GO. Some bits even raise political points that the media haven’t covered sufficiently…So wide-ranging and up to the minute...Run, for material this pungent has the shelf life of a banana!”
– MARC MILLER, Backstage (Critic's Pick) [Full review]
"AN ENGAGING MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE with a talented and arch cast. . .The cast is truly an ensemble and each gets a number of chances to shine."
– SHERRI RASE, Q Onstage [Full review]