BANNED receives eight Broadway World award nominations

Our Summer production of BANNED the Musical received 8 Broadway World Award nominations. Broadway World asks Denver theater goers to nominate their favorite shows for the year so you might say it's a "People's Choice" award, but it's a bit of a popularity contest too; in any case, it's nice to be selected by your peers and we would appreciate your support.

Here are the categories we've been nominated in:
Musical: BANNED the Musical
Director: Kelly McAllister
Choreography: Heather Westenskow
Performer: Tracy Denver
Supporting Performer: Lars Preece, Olivia Kisicki, Star Ilalaole
Ensemble BANNED the Musical

Here's the link if you'd like to vote:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/denver/awards

2024 LIVE Performance Cast Album at the Edinburgh Fringe on Soundcloud

We've added our cast album with songs from the 2024 LIVE performances of BANNED the Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Soundcloud. In the final weeks before the performance some of the songs were cut down in length to best utilize the 60 minute format at fringe. The majority of these tracks are from Willow Studio at Riddles Court on August 10th, 2023. It's important to capture all these sorts of things for performances in the future.

Cast Album from BANNED
Live at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Performers: April Alsup, Blake Nawa'a, Eli Harvey, Heather Westenskow, Kelly McAllister, Lars Preece, Olivia Kisicki, Star Ilalaole, Timmy Pamintuan, Tracy Denver

2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes to an end

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support our show "BANNED the Musical" at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We had a fabulous time! There are so many talented performers at the Fringe and the Greenside Venues staff was amazing. This was our second straight year at the Fringe and both of our performance runs went great. Music theatre is ephemeral by nature and the people involved always feel the impact when a performance run comes to an end.

BANNED cast bow at 2024 Edinburgh Fringe

Saying goodbye to Scotland is always tough, but “a rolling stone collects no moss.” In Greek mythology, autumn appears as Demeter deals with the sadness of her daughter’s return to Hades. The world tends to slow down and hibernate as a result. The creative spirit is like an automotive engine and the driver and their passengers are rewarded with the ride. While all shows come to an end, it’s always best to remember that it only reveals the beginning of a new one, just as Demeter’s joy turns to the flowers of spring with Persephone’s return from the underworld. Thank you again, until next time Edinburgh. 🎭😀

Greenside announces BANNED 4 Star Scotsman review

THE SCOTSMAN - 4 STARS
August 6th, 2024

Denise’s husband has started wearing women’s clothes. Ana has surprised herself by falling for male-identifying gender guru Carl. Above all, Theo wants to capture their eight-strong gender identity group’s lives and loves in a brand new musical, to be staged at a prestigious international festival (sound familiar?).

There’s no denying the sheer ambition of April Alsup’s big, bold musical, in terms of its web of intertwining storylines, its eclectic and diverse characters, and the sensitive issues of gender and sexuality it attempts to address. There’s no denying, either, the sheer panache and energy with which it’s pulled off by its eager, energetic, ten-piece Denver-based company – no fewer than nine actor/singers, plus Alsup delivering an impassioned keyboard part.

Alsup’s songs are strong and memorable, in nicely complex arrangements too – tunes are swapped back and forth in complicated ensemble numbers, and the cast offers glowing harmonies as well as vivid solos. Eli Harvey is a troubled and vulnerable Ana, with a voice as honest and open as their character, while Tracy Denver makes a petulant Denise, at first horrified at her husband’s new apparel interests though later easing reluctantly towards acceptance. Online dating gets a merciless take-down, while the pleasures of sex are dutifully celebrated.

Despite the stage-filling collection of disparate characters – nicely choreographed by Heather Westenskow – there’s nonetheless a convincing overall story arc, as well as fulfilling individual plotlines for several of them (even if others inevitably feel a little underwritten). Best of all, however, BANNED offers a deeply human perspective on issues of gender and sexual identity, its flawed characters navigating their own mistake-filled routes through pronouns, preferences and plenty more. It’s a complex, compassionate show of missteps and misunderstandings, and one that warmly applies the tolerance it requests of others onto its own damaged but likeable characters.

By David Kettle
Read the complete review

BANNED the Musical opens 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Greenside press launch

Here's several pictures of the BANNED cast at the Greenside press launch on George Street. There were twenty acts in the showcase and we were given the honor of opening the 2024 Festival this year. Wow, what a great space and the tech team is so good, Thanks Greenside! 🎭

BANNED cast opening the 2024 Fringe Festival

BANNED cast opening the 2024 Fringe Festival

BANNED preview tickets now available at Vintage Theatre website

BANNED the Musical - Edinburgh Preview
Thursday July 25 - Sunday July 28th
Vintage Theatre: TICKETS AVAILABLE

$15 General Admission Tickets

BANNED is a modern-day musical that follows a group of gender misfits through the events leading up to their debut at a local performing arts festival. The polarizing discourse around gender today goes beyond opinions and has real consequences in society. The characters in BANNED go online to live out their dreams and escape the harsh realities of the world. We witness the juxtaposition of their psyche online and offline, we experience their inner struggles with intimacy, authenticity and acceptance. If the root cause of inequality is marginalization, the remedy is inclusion.

List of our BANNED blog posts

Here's a comprehensive list of our blog posts over the last few years.

2024 LIVE Performance Cast Album at the Edinburgh Fringe on Soundcloud: We've added our cast album with songs from the 2024 LIVE performances of BANNED the Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Soundcloud.

Our BANNED 2024 Performance Libretto: We finally got around to updating the BANNED libretto to match our 2024 Edinburgh Fringe performances.

2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes to an end: A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support our show "BANNED the Musical" at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Greenside announces BANNED 4 Star Scotsman review: There’s no denying the sheer ambition of April Alsup’s big, bold musical, in terms of its web of intertwining storylines, its eclectic and diverse characters, and the sensitive issues of gender and sexuality it attempts to address.

BANNED the Musical opens 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival at Greenside press launch: Here's several pictures of the BANNED cast at the Greenside press launch on George Street.

BANNED preview tickets now available at Vintage Theatre website: BANNED is a modern-day musical that follows a group of gender misfits through the events leading up to their debut at a local performing arts festival.

BANNED program flipbook Riddles Court performances: Converting a Microsoft Word document into a PDF and then an interactive flipbook is an eco-friendly way to provide your show's programs to your audience.

Early blocking and choreography rehearsal: We're in the preliminary stages of mounting the BANNED show now.

BANNED! mobile phone props for Edinburgh Fringe: Making a realistic phone was pretty easy, we found some relatively thin puck lights that fit nicely between two electrical wall plates at Home Depot.

BANNED tickets now available!: The Fringe's online ticketing system has lots of options and the Fringe organization has been super helpful with explaining all the ins and outs.

Quad Rail Boards for the Edinburgh Fringe: With over one million people visiting Edinburgh’s festivals during August, outdoor posters are part of many participant’s marketing campaign toolbox.

BANNED Creative Strategy Document: Musical theater’s gender-bending forerunners like Angel (Rent), Lola (Kinky Boots), Hedwig (and the Angry Inch), Priscilla (Queen of the Desert), and Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Rocky Horror) are so “Sassy” and “Vegas Fabulous”, our show is less about making an icon than it is about presenting a group of non-conforming individuals with common talents and struggles, who are marginalized for not abiding by today’s gender norms.

BANNED to debut at Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Colorado composer, April Alsup, has announced the dates for BANNED the Musical, a timely story of a group of Gen Z gender misfits and the events leading up to their performance at a local performing arts festival.