‘Burning Man: The Musical’ Takes Audiences on a Trip
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Burning Man is great and all, but would really make it better is turning
Tristan Green
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Burning Man is great and all, but would really make it better is turning it into a musical”? Well, if you have you’re in luck: your day has arrived. Burning Man: The Musical is here. A trippy journey through one woman’s self awareness, the new film is a comedy pitting techies against hippies.
Burning Man: The Musical
It’s fun, it’s crazy, it’s unique: it’s Burning Man. Burning Man: The musical is directed by Tyler Milliron and is soon to be available on streaming platform Broadway On Demand. The film stars Morgan Siobhan Green (Be More Chill), Tally Sessions (Company, Anastasia), Max Crumm (Grease, Disaster!), Michelle Duffy (Heathers, Leap of Faith),Troy Iwata (Be More Chill), Allison Griffith (Sunset Boulevard), Ari Groover (Tina, Head Over Heels), Mila Jam (Rent), Ysabel Jasa (Rent) and Michael F. McBride (Alvin Ailey).
But since so much of Burning Man’s appeal is in its organic chaos, how do you turn that into a movie? By making the move about a trippy journey through one woman’s journey inward. A press release for the film explains the plot; “The film follows Molly, a promising young tech grad, as she returns to the playa of Black Rock City – this time employed by the very tech company that, unbeknownst to her, seeks to destroy it. After being given the task of acquiring drugs for her boss’s exclusive party, Molly finds herself on a journey inward – and through the community of Burning Man – finds her truest self.”
The story isn’t the only story though; the music is a huge deal. And it’s going to be spectacular, with 18 tracks including Burning Man crowd fave, “Last Year’s Burn Was Better,” an apt song given the circumstances. All of the music is inspired by songs played at Burning Man, and it will feel familiar and comforting to long-time festival goers. The press release shares this about the music, “Burning Man: The Musical is written by Matt Werner. Music is by Gene Back. Ari Grooves serves as Choreographer. Director of Photography is Tyler Milliron. Editing by Tyler Milliron. Art Direction by Samantha Shoffner. Supervising Sound Editor is Julian Evans. Post Sound Music Mixing and CD Mastering by Will Melones. Costume Design by Somie Pak. Hair and Makeup Design by JG. Rodney Bush serves as Musical Supervisor.” It’s an eclectic and accomplished team that’s poised to bring Burning Man music vibes to the big (or in this case, small) screen. If your ears are aching for the sound of the beloved festival, this film will soothe.
Burning Man: The Musical will premiere on Broadway On Demand on August 27th alongside Burning Man 2021. Broadway On Demand is an industry-leading platform designed to bring theater and live performances home to your living room.
Burning Man 2021
Burning Man the festival is a culture unto itself; a multi-day event focused on creativity, community, self-expression, and freedom. The very draw to the festival is the closeness of the community and the way people come together to share the human experience and explore art and creative expression. But that’s kind of hard to do in the middle of a pandemic.
So Burning Man 2021, like so many events, is going digital. This year’s festival will be an online community of artists sharing their work together. Burning Man’s website shares this thought on 2021 and a return to the in-person festival: “We have had to adapt to the twists and turns of a global crisis, complex public health information, and the growing hope that we can start rebuilding our lives together soon. We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022. We have the time now to imagine what we can bring to BRC 2022 that will really make a difference.”
Artists can submit their work for Burning Man 2021 through the Kindling website.
Reality Meets Art
The hope of releasing Burning Man: The Musical is that it will bring some of the vibe and feeling of togetherness and cohesiveness to a community that’s currently scattered. They’re not the only artists making this approach in recent months. Chance the Rapper recently debuted a concert film that he hoped would bring fans into his world and draw them together through a shared love of community and his music. If they can’t be together in person, maybe they can come together in smaller groups around the world and connect virtually with their shared love of art, music, and community.
The idea of having virtual concerts and art events can be depressing to festival and music lovers, but artists are doing their best to be responsible during the COVID-19 pandemic. With Burning Man going digital, Burning Man: The Musical is as close as people will get to setting foot on the desert sands and surrounding themselves with the love of their fellow enthusiasts. So take a trip with Molly, and touch down with Burning Man: The Musical on August 27th. Then flip over to Burning Man 2021 and see what the world’s artists have created during this long, uncertain year.