Powerhouse

The Show

Powerhouse uses live action and puppetry, swing dancing and physical comedy to tell the story of a brilliant man who wrote music that nearly every American has heard but almost no one can identify.

Inspired by swing music, animated cartoons and futuristic machines, Powerhouse takes the audience inside the mind of Raymond Scott, composer and electronic music pioneer. He wrote fast-paced, tightly orchestrated compositions, attempting to reinvent swing in the 1940s. Wildly successful in his own time, his music would be completely forgotten were it not for its use in countless Looney Tunes cartoons of the 1940s and 1950s. But Scott never watched a cartoon in his life. Powerhouse is a story about the chasm between what an artist imagines and what his audience perceives.

Powerhouse was presented in an early version at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival, where it played to sell-out crowds and rave reviews. The production won an award from the festival for Outstanding Ensemble, and went on to play a four-performance extension at FringeNYC Encores. A revised version of the script was a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2012.

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The Company

Josh Luxenberg
Playwright, Producer

Jon Levin
Director and Concept, Producer

Developed in collaboration with Joshua Morris and the Sinking Ship Ensemble

Powerhouse was originally performed with the following company at The Connelly Theater and The Actors' Playhouse as part of the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival and FringeNYC Encores.

The Cast:

Artistic & Production Team:

*Member, Actors' Equity Association