Adding Machine (musical)

Background

Adding Machine is a musical adaptation of Elmer Rice's 1923 play The Adding Machine. The original play has been called the "gimlet-eyed Expressionist classic about the soul rot of conventionality;" it relates the story of an "antihero," Mr. Zero, who murders his boss after he has been replaced by an adding machine after 25 years on the job. Loewith conceived a musical adaptation after learning of the Kurt Weill musical based on a second Rice play Street Scene. After some years, Loewith was able to attract composer Joshua Schmidt to the project; Schmidt composed the music, and wrote the libretto and book together with Loewith. Schmidt met Loewith because he was the artistic director of company at Next Theater. Schmidt explained why his show had such a small band: "At Next Theater, we had a 15-by-5 space for the orchestra — a shoebox with a very low ceiling. My experience had taught me how to get a lot out of a little. I approached it with this combination in mind from the moment of conception. I didn’t cut it back to make it fit our space. I created a full blown, challenging score for three instruments. It’s not a matter of compensating for instruments that aren’t there."

Productions

The musical premiered in 2007 at the Next Theater in Illinois in a production directed by David Cromer and starring Joel Hatch, Cyrilla Baer, and Amy Warren. The Chicago production was recognized with a Jeff Award for best musical.

It opened Off Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre on February 25, 2008; it was again directed by David Cromer, with many of the original cast members. The New York-based critic Adam Feldman reviewed the musical enthusiastically, noting that "Schmidt and Loewith’s adaptation cleaves to the bones of Rice’s play but also fleshes it out in a superbly varied score" and "Adding Machine does what Zero literally cannot imagine: It alchemizes mediocrity into excellence." The production received six Lucille Lortel Award nominations, more than any other show in the 2008 season, and won for Outstanding Musical (among others).

The show was produced in Washington, DC in 2009 at The Studio Theatre with Jason Loewith directing. It then was produced by the SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston in March and April 2010, at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Cincinnati's Know Theatre produced it in their 2009-2010 season. In Los Angeles, it was produced by the Odyssey Theater Ensemble in early 2011. The production was directed by Ron Sossi; Clifford Morts and Kelly Lester played Mr. and Mrs. Zero. In Milwaukee, it was produced by the Skylight Music Theatre in 2011.

A new production was staged as the Australasian Premiere by Underground Productions based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The production was staged for a limited season at the Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus. The production opened in September 2014 for a 3-week season. The cast featured Chris Kellett as Mr. Zero, Gabriella Flowers (Mrs Zero) and Taylor Davidson (Daisy Devore).

Song list

Listing based on the compilation at CastAlbum.com.

Cast (New York)

Awards and nominations