Abe Reybold directs Ripper, which will officially open Aug. 4. Performances continue through Aug. 21. Ripper has book, music and lyrics by Nelsen.
Nelsen’s musical received a 2007 reading starring Davis Gaines and Annie Golden, and was presented as part of the 2009 National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals.Nelsen loosely based his script on the Jack the Ripper tale, according to the Broadway Rose. “Neighbors, friends, and lovers are all suspects. Some are driven to find the truth. Others stop at nothing to obscure the facts and manipulate the situation to their own advantage. From the reporter who covers the story and the magician who runs the brothel, to the police and, of course, the prostitutes, an intricate plot unfolds that interweaves magic and mayhem, the lively nightlife of the music halls, and the ever-present danger of a killer lurking in the shadows.”