Shows

Spittin’ Image

Based on the 1943 novel by Kentucky Poet Laureate Jesse Stuart, Spittin’ Image had its world premiere at the Forum Theater in Metuchen, New Jersey on April 1, 1994. The musical was adapted from Jesse Stuart’s novel Taps For Private Tussie, which was based on a real family whom he knew as a child growing up in Kentucky. The production was directed by Peter Loewy and choreographed by Dan Siretta.

From the world premier production, starring Leonard Drum and Grandpa and Ramzi Khalaf as Boy.

Spittin’ Image tells the story of two boys — one in the present, and one in the past — whose lives intersect as they help each other find their way. Told on a split stage representing modern day and 1943 Kentucky, the musical tells the story of a rebellious modern-day teenager, Matt, and The Boy, living with his eccentric dirt-poor clan of welfare cheats in Kentucky during World War Two. The two boys couldn’t be more different from one another, and yet, as Matt reads about the Boy in the story, he becomes more involved in the Boy’s struggle to find a way out of his poverty and illiteracy. In the end, Matt and the Boy reach out over time to help each other meet their individual challenges of growing up.

A sample song from the show, sung by one of the leads, Janine LaManna, can be heard on the media page.