Upstairs - A Musical Eulogy
“I haven’t been so moved by a theatrical performance in years. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming.”
Upstairs is one part history, one part speculative history, and one part magical realism. The ten-person ensemble musical hews closely to written histories of the Up Stairs Lounge and the night of the arson fire that took thirty-two LGBT and allied lives, with informed speculation filling in the gaps where no historical accounts are possible. But, in a step beyond history, and in the spirit of a play set in New Orleans, the show brings the dead to life, giving voice to the victims after the fire and revealing the demons that made such a horrific act possible. The play features a five-piece band and runs in one 90-minute act.
For more about Upstairs and its history-making New Orleans premiere, read our review at Theatremania.com.
“Upstairs quickly changed even the most hardened critics into ardent supporters of the production. A force of nature. Upstairs brings closure to a city that has suffered this open wound gor too long, and demonstrates the transformational power of live theater.”
Credits
Wayne Self
Book, Music, and Lyrics
Mark Etheredge
Additional Music