Every Man A King: A New Orleans Jazz Fable
Meet Huey Pierce Long, the colorful populist governor who ran Louisiana like his own country, inspired millions with his Share the Wealth program, and was deemed "the second most dangerous man in America" by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After his 1935 assassination, Huey's ghost spends the next thirty-five years trapped in the Louisiana governor's office. Upon learning that his wife Rose has died, Huey embarks on a turbulent journey through his past to discover who killed him and why, believing this knowledge to be key to escaping his personal purgatory and reuniting with his wife. But as he relives past glories and mistakes, Huey inches closer to a disturbing truth that will turn his world and his image of himself upside down. The score features original songs in the iconic Dixieland style of New Orleans jazz, incorporating five authentic compositions by Long himself, some of which haven’t been heard in decades.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Kingfish Productions
Alex-Christian Lucas is a two-time Broadway World Award Winning actor, theatre researcher, writer, and historian with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Loyola University New Orleans and an MA in Music Theatre from the University of London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He has studied and performed worldwide in opera, musical theatre, and pantos across Germany, Canada, New York, London, and New Orleans and is currently researching and writing a book on the Evolution of the Broadway Musical Ensemble.
Kevin Gullage is an indigenous, African American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who has worked on films for Disney, Marvel, and Netflix. He appeared in the 2022 season of ABC’s American Idol and is signed with Grammy-winning record label Basin Street Records, who released his first full length LP Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Blues.
Sophie Trist is a totally blind, proud Louisiana native currently pursuing an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Arkansas. Much of her work focuses on history and positive, nuanced representations of people with disabilities. Sophie has published short stories and essays in several literary magazines and written a play which was produced at a college theatre festival.
William Spencer is a proudly queer, neurodiverse creative who trained at Bird College and as an intern/student ambassador to the McOnie Company. He is currently part of the Young Vic’s Fresh Direction Cohort. He’s worked with West End and internationally renowned creatives Carole Todd, Nick Winston, Steven Dexter & Bronagh Lagan and is three-time Offie nominated for Best Choreographer for [Title of Show], Coppelia, and Grindr the Opera. His work celebrates the telling of queer and neurodiverse stories with the goal of making theatre a universally accessible and enjoyable experience.
PRESS & REVIEWS
CAST & CREATIVE CREDITS:
Alex-Christian Lucas | Original Story Creator, Co-Book Writer & Actor
Kevin Gullage | Composer & Lyricist
Sophie Trist | Co-Book Writer
William Spencer | Director-Choreographer
Musical Direction by Alex Kirk
Arrangements by Olivia Gonzales
A Pinch of VAULT is a festival of brand new and work-in-progress performance. Shows will be at varying stages of development, including rehearsed readings with script in hand, first time on its feet or semi-staged.