Bigfoot! The Musical is a musical comedy with lyrics by Amber Ruffin, music by David Schmoll, and a book by Ruffin and Kevin Sciretta. The Off-Broadway production began previews on February 11, 2026, at New York City Center.
| Bigfoot! The Musical | |
|---|---|
Promotional windowcard | |
| Music | David Schmoll |
| Lyrics | Amber Ruffin |
| Book |
|
| Productions |
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Productions
editInception and development
editRuffin and collaborators Kevin Sciretta and David Schmoll began developing Bigfoot! in 2015 at Los Angeles' Sacred Fools Theater Company, as part of the long-running sketch comedy show "Serial Killers" in which concept shows compete against each other week-to-week.[1][2]
The show first premiered as a one-act musical in the summer of 2018 at the Majestic Repertory Theatre in Las Vegas.[3][4] Its second iteration was produced by ColdTowne Theater in as part of the 2019 Austin Sketch Fest in Texas.[5][6]
The musical was staged as a concert at 54 Below in New York City on February 5, 2024. The cast consisted of Justin Guarini, Bonnie Milligan, Alex Moffat, Alex Newell, and Larry Owens.[7][8] It was subsequently produced with a different creative team and cast as part of the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival, winning the festival's Fringe Award for Musicals & Operas.[9][10] The musical was workshopped as part of the 2024 summer season of New York Stage and Film at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. The production, directed by Ruffin, with a cast of Justin Guarini, Jade Jones, Taran Killam, Janelle McDermoth, and Larry Owens.[11][12]
Off-Broadway
editOn September 12, 2025, it was announced that the musical would premiere Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage I in a co-production between Benson Drive Productions and Manhattan Theatre Club and it would be directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford. Previews began on February 11, 2026, followed by a March 1 opening night, and ran through April 26.[13] The production was praised for its strong casting, slapstick humor, and political satire.[14][15][16][17][18]
Characters and casts
edit| Character | Concert[8] | Workshop[12] | Off-Broadway[19][20] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| Doctor | Justin Guarini | Jason Tam | |
| Francine | Alex Newell | Jade Jones | Crystal Lucas-Perry |
| Mayor | Alex Moffat | Taran Killam | Alex Moffat |
| Joanne | Bonnie Milligan | Janelle McDermoth | Katerina McCrimmon |
| Bigfoot | Larry Owens | Grey Henson | |
| Cast | Jade Jones | ||
Musical numbers
edit- "Muddirt" – Company
- "Day To Day" – Bigfoot, Company
- "Splashtown" – Mayor, As Cast, Joanne, Doctor, Francine
- "Maybe" – Francine
- "You'll Look Good" – Bigfoot
- "On The Wings" – Mayor, CEO: As Cast
- "My Love Burns" – Doctor, Francine
- "Forest" – Townspeople: As Cast, Francine, Joanne, Doctor
- "When You Come Around" – Bigfoot, Joanne
- "Shoot Away" – Bigfoot
- "Mommy" – Bigfoot, Company
- "On The Wings (Reprise)" – Mayor, CEO: As Cast
- "Finale" – Company
Awards and nominations
editOff-Broadway production
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Pending | [21][22] | |
| Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Danny Mefford | Pending | |||
| Distinguished Performance | Grey Henson | Pending | |||
| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | [23][24] | ||
References
edit- ↑ Cling, Carol (June 28, 2018). "The funny and the topical converge in 'Bigfoot, the Musical'". Las Vegas Review-Journal: Neon. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Ask Me Another (November 30, 2018). "Amber Ruffin Says What!?". NPR. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Cristi, A. A. "Amber Ruffin's BIGFOOT, THE MUSICAL Premieres At Majestic". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ LaFrance, Mary (June 2018). "Las Vegas – "Bigfoot: A Brand New Musical Comedy" – 7/13/18". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Austin Sketch Fest – Past Festivals". Austin Sketch Fest. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Gutierrez, Trey (June 13, 2019). "ColdTowne Theater's Bigfoot, The Musical". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (February 5, 2024). "Alex Newell, Justin Guarini, Bonnie Milligan, More Are Part of Bigfoot, The Musical February 5 at 54 Below". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- 1 2 "Bigfoot, the Musical by Amber Ruffin, Kevin Sciretta, and David Schmoll". 54 Below. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (May 14, 2024). "Amber Ruffin's BIGFOOT! THE MUSICAL is Coming to The Hollywood Fringe". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ "Hollywood Fringe – bigfoot! the musical". www.hollywoodfringe.org. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Higgins, Molly; Culwell-Block, Logan (July 2, 2024). "New York Stage and Film Reveals Additional Casting for 2024 Summer Season". Playbill. Archived from the original on September 14, 2025. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- 1 2 "2024 Summer Season: Public Presentations". NYSAF. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (September 12, 2025). "Amber Ruffin Musical Bigfoot! Sets 2026 Off-Broadway Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ Cao, Caroline (March 1, 2026). "'Bigfoot!' Off-Broadway review — monster misfit musical stomps onto the stage". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ↑ Williamson, Lane. "Review: Bigfoot! at New York City Center – Stage I". Exeunt Magazine NYC. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ↑ Kumar, Naveen (March 2, 2026). "'Bigfoot!' Review: An Ogre Who Just Wants to Be Friends". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ↑ Levitt, Hayley (March 2, 2026). "Review: Bigfoot! Gives Musical Theater a Brand-New Outcast and Lots of Punchlines". TheaterMania. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ↑ McHenry, Jackson (March 2, 2026). "Sickness and Slickness: Night Side Songs and Bigfoot! Sing Their Hearts Out". Vulture. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ↑ Evans, Greg (December 8, 2025). "'Bigfoot!' Stage Musical Finds Its Beast: Grey Henson To Star Alongside Alex Moffat, Crystal Lucas-Perry & Katerina McCrimmon". Deadline. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (January 8, 2026). "Jason Tam, Jade Jones, More Complete Cast of Bigfoot! Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "MEXODUS and PRINCE F*GGOT Lead 2026 Lucille Lortel Nominations". BroadwayWorld. April 1, 2026. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 3, 2026). "Mexodus Wins 4 Lucille Lortel Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 10, 2026.