Comic book musical comes alive with live band, original illustrations and explosive ideas!
Recognized internationally for work that is incisive, heartwrenching and darkly funny, Calgarians David Rhymer and Kris Demeanor have spun a true story into a brand-new musical that will plant gorgeous songs and explosive ideas in your head. 22 songs, 7 performers that morph between the live band and characters, and projected original illustrations make this comic book musical come alive!
Downstage and Forte Musical Theatre proudly present,
with the generous support of Hit & Myth Productions,
CRIME DOES NOT PAY
by David Rhymer and Kris Demeanor
Details: March 2 – 5 & 7 – 11, 2017 @ 7:30pm
with a matinee Saturday, March 11 @ 2:00pm
Arts Commons Engineered Air Theatre (225 8 Avenue SE)
- Comic Fan Night: Thursday, March 2 @ 7:30pm.
- Relaxed Performance: Tuesday, March 7 @ 7:30pm.
- Recommended for ages 16 & up.
- Run time approximately 2 hrs, 10 minutes, including intermission.
Bob arrives in the big city in the late 1940s with a sketchbook full of comics about how the little guy always gets pushed into the dirt by corporations and politicians, but publishers say there’s no money in bleeding hearts. When Bob falls for Violet, a lounge singer with an abusive ex-husband, inspiration strikes! He gets his big break after sexing up his stories with ‘babes and blood’ – dark depictions of true crimes where the criminals are the heroes, in a hot new title called “Crime Does Not Pay”.
The comics become an overnight sensation but inspire a backlash from children’s advocate Eleanor Flood, who claims their racy content is spurring horrible copycat crimes. Turns out that the trappings of success, the threat of censorship and Bob’s possessive love of Violet make for one dangerous cocktail…
Five years in the making, Crime Does Not Pay is one racket you’ll want to get in on!
TICKETS
- Guarantee your seat by buying a ticket for $25 in advance online by following this link, by phone at (403) 294-9494 or in person at the Arts Commons Box Office.
- Through Downstage’s Pay It Forward program, there are 34 tickets available for each performance of Crime Does Not Pay at no cost to you at the door. Tickets are first come, first served once our box office opens an hour before the performance. In exchange, we’ll ask for your email address so we can send you a brief survey about your experience. (We won’t sell or use your email for any other reason.) Enjoy your experience? ‘Pay It Forward’ by inviting others to check out the show or by making a donation of any size to the program.
For more information, visit downstage.ca.
A HEADS UP: Crime Does Not Pay includes material that some people may find upsetting or triggering, including profanity, sexual innuendo, scenes of domestic violence, and references to suicide. If you would like to learn more about the content of the show before attending, please feel free to contact us.
