Media Depictions
A musical entitled "Comrade Rockstar", with music by Richard John and libretto by Julian Woolford is currently in development, using none of Reed's songs. One hour's material from the show was presented in workshop by students from London's Arts Educational School in November 2007, and further workshops have taken place at Central School fo Speech and Drama and Royal Scottish Academy of Speech and Drama. A full-reading took place in February 2012 with a cast including West End stars Ben Goddard, Rosie Ashe, Issy Van Randwyck, Katie Secombe, Kajsa Hummerlund and Gemma Sutton.
Reed’s life story influenced Grammy Award-winning writer and comedian Lewis Black and composer Rusty Magee to create "The Czar of Rock and Roll", a musical which chronicles Reed-like character Eugene Reeves rise from a Nebraska musician to a Soviet superstar. The book was penned by Black with music and lyrics by Magee. It was first produced in New York City at the West Bank Café Downstairs Theater Bar in 1989 and then at the Alley Theater in Houston in 1990. A concert version of the musical, directed by Evan Cabnet, was produced at Joe’s Pub in New York City in April 2009. The song 'Salome for Dean Reed' features on the 2001 'Blossom Freak' album by English singer/songwriter Steve Bush.
Tom Hanks has optioned a biography by Reggie Nadelson, titled Comrade Rockstar (1991), finally published in the U.S. by Walker & Company in 2006. Nadelson had been inspired to write her book after seeing the 60 Minutes broadcast. Hanks is planning to produce a movie on Reed's life, which is also the subject of the documentaries American Rebel: The Dean Reed Story (1985), Dean Reed – Glamour und Protest (1993) and Der Rote Elvis (The Red Elvis) (2007).
Read more about this topic: Dean Reed
Famous quotes containing the words media and/or depictions:
“The media transforms the great silence of things into its opposite. Formerly constituting a secret, the real now talks constantly. News reports, information, statistics, and surveys are everywhere.”
—Michel de Certeau (1925–1986)
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—Angela Carter (1940–1992)