Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical

CREATIVE TEAM

Book by Mike Lew & Rehana Lew Mirza

Music & Lyrics by Sam Wilmott

Additional Music by Deep Singh

Musical Staging by Lisa Shriver

Choreography by Rujuta Vaidya

Directed by Stafford Arima

Project Description

Winner of the Richard Rodgers Award, BHANGIN’ IT is an exhilarating new musical that celebrates the traditions we inherit from yesterday and those we create for tomorrow. When a young woman finds her identity cannot be defined by checking a box, she sets off on a quest to dance to her own beat. Drawing from competitive Bhangra and mixing it with other Indian and Western dance forms alike, BHANGIN’ IT is a brash, intoxicating and joyous musical for America today.

Production History

  • Project Springboard Developing Dance Musicals Residency, 2018

  • Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre, 2019

  • Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre, 2020

  • Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse, 2022

Creative Team

Mike Lew (Co-Librettist) Previous collaborations with the La Jolla Playhouse include serving as the 2018/19 Artist-in-Residence and a commission for The Colonialism Project (both with Rehana Lew Mirza), and the west coast premiere of his play Tiger Style! (also at Olney, Huntington, and Alliance). His other plays include Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi at the Public, Donmar Warehouse, Woolly Mammoth, Artists Rep); Bike America (Ma-Yi, Alliance) and microcrisis (Ma-Yi, InterAct, Next Act). He and Ms. Lew Mirza are joint Mellon Foundation Playwrights-in-Residence at Ma-Yi Theater. Mike is a Dramatists Guild Council member, Tony voter, and New Dramatists resident. Honors: Lark Venturous and NYFA fellowships; PEN, Lanford Wilson, Helen Merrill, Heideman, and Kendeda awards. Education: Juilliard, Yale.

Rehana Lew Mirza’s (Co-Librettist) previous collaborations with La Jolla Playhouse include serving as the 2018/19 Artist-in-Residence and a commission for The Colonialism Project (both with Mike Lew). Her plays include: Hatefuck (2019 production at Colt Coeur and WP Theater; upcoming production at Round House in 2020); A People’s Guide to History in the Time of Here and Now (Primary Stages commission; workshop production: AMDA); Soldier X (productions: Ma-Yi, Brooklyn College; 2015 Kilroys List; NYSCA/Lark commission); Tomorrow, Inshallah (Storyworks/HuffPost commission; production: Living Room Theater, Kansas City); Neighborhood Watch (NNPN/InterAct commission); and Barriers (productions: Desipina, Asian American Theater Company). Honors include: 2019 NYFA Fellow, Colt Coeur Company member, HBO Access Fellow, Lilly Award (Stacey Mindich “Go Write A Play”), and a TCG/New Georges Fellowship. She and Mike also share a Mellon Foundation National Playwright residency administered in partnership with Howlround at Ma-Yi Theater. M.F.A.: Columbia University; B.F.A.: NYU Tisch.

Sam Willmott’s (Composer/Lyricist) projects include Yo, Vikings! and the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre's Sleeping Beauty (both with Marcus Stevens); the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Song of Parkland, Standardized Testing—The Musical!!!! and the mini-musical Scarlett Takes a Tumble. Willmott’s written work has received the Kleban Prize, the Fred Ebb Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, the ASCAP Foundation’s Cole Porter and Harold Adamson Awards, MAC’s John Wallowitch Award, and the Kennedy Center ACTF Musical Theater Award. He has written over 150 songs for the Korean English-language children’s program, English Egg, and taught at Harvard University, Pace University’s Musical Theater BFA, and Lincoln Center’s Songwriting in Schools Program. For more info, visit SamWillmott.com.

Stafford Arima (Director) Arima is the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary in Alberta, Canada. In 2015, he became the first Asian Canadian to direct a musical on Broadway when ALLEGIANCE opened at the Longacre Theatre. Arima was nominated for an Olivier Award for this direction of the West End premiere of RAGTIME. Additional work: ALTAR BOYZ (Off-Broadway), CARRIE (MCC Theater), JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS (Stratford Festival), SATURDAY NIGHT (York Theatre Co., NYC); CANDIDE (San Francisco Symphony); THE TIN PAN ALLEY RAG (Roundabout Theatre), BARE (Off-Broadway 2012), and MARY AND MAX, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and BILLY ELLIOT (Theatre Calgary). Arima was the associate director of SEUSSICAL and A CLASS ACT on Broadway. He is a graduate of York University (Canada), and former adjunct and Granada Artist in Residence at the University of California, Davis.

Rujuta Vaidya (Choreographer) is a NY-based, globally recognized Bollywood choreographer and has been responsible for some of the biggest Bollywood musical extravaganzas in the Hollywood entertainment industry. With choreography credits that include the Academy Awards 2009 – John Legend and AR Rahman’s Slumdog Millionaire performance, Britney Spears’ The Circus tour, Black Eyed Peas’ The End Tour, AR Rahman World Tour, Priyanka Chopra’s “In My City,” Sridevi’s English Vinglish and the Disney-released Cheetah Girls 3 – One World, Ruj has emerged as a leading influence in the world of contemporary Bollywood dance. . While her training includes a rigorous study in the classical forms such as Kathak and Bharatnatyam, Rujuta has fine-tuned her skills under the tutelage of famed hip-hop choreographer Fatima Robinson (choreographer for Michael Jackson, Prince, Fergie, and Rihanna) and the legendary Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan (Tezaab, Mr. India, Devdas, Taare Zameen Par, etc) to develop her own spin on Bollywood dance. Ruj is currently represented by Bloc Agency. 

Deep Singh (Additional Music) is a Grammy-nominated artist who has been steeped in music since the age of three and at six years old became the youngest disciple of the late tabla master, Ustad Allah Rakha. Sing’s versatility as a performer, composer, producer and engineer has given him a unique place in the music industry resulting in some very innovative collaborations with leading artists rom the East and West. Singh received a Grammy nomination in 2018. Some of Singh’s work includes: A.R. Rahman/Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical BOMBAY DREAMS; Twyla Tharp’s musical COME FROM AWAY; Mira Nair’s musical MONSOON WEDDING; Sheila Silver’s opera performed by the Seattle Symphony THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS (fall of 2022); Composing an anthem for India “Anthem of Us” which debuted at Madison Square Garden/Time Square; Various projects with Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center, DEVO-Sutra to be released in 2022, Ghost writing/programming for several major pop artists. Singh can be seen live playing in New York City’s downtown band “Sharabi” (intoxication) merging various genres from bhangra, klezmer and jazz.

Lisa Shriver’s (Musical Staging) Broadway credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, The Farnsworth Invention, The Story of My Life, The Ring of Fire. As Associate Choreographer: over 10 Broadway productions, including The Producers, Into the Woods, Oklahoma!. Off-Broadway: Into the Woods(Roundabout–Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Choreography), Fetch Clay Make Man (NYTW). Selected regional: Sideways, The Farnsworth Invention, Jesus Christ Superstar (La Jolla Playhouse); Sister Act, Rock of Ages, Austen’s Pride (Seattle 5th Ave); Caesar and Cleopatra, The Tempest – both with Christopher Plummer (Stratford Shakespeare Festival). Film: A Beautiful Mind, A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey, Hysterical Blindness. As Associate: The Polar Express, Mixed Nuts with Steve Martin, Center Stage. TV: A Very Murray Christmas, Broad City, The Detour. Other; Phish’s NYE concert at MSG (3 years).