Sights
The World Still Needs You, Boris Yeltsin!
What happens when an aging rockstar, a woman with dreams, a repressed rent-a-cop, and a drunk Russian walk into a grocery store? They sing. They dance. Communism ends. No, really. This is based on a true story.
Synopsis
The World Still NeedsYou, Boris Yeltsin! takes place in a grocery store in Houston, Texas in 1989. Russia is Communist, America is Capitalist… but in this supermarket, bigger forces are at play: a checkout Clerk dreams of something more; a middle Manager dreams of being at the top; and a macho Rent-a-Cop battles demons in the closet. All of these characters reach their breaking point when soon-to-not-be-laughingstock-of-Russia Boris Yeltsin visits in a last minute stop on his tour of America. He speeches, he drinks, he throws up, he wrecks things, but ultimately he finds something he didn’t know he was looking for. Filled with quintessential Texans and tons of product placement, this musical is a love letter to living your dream, to roasting everyone on the political spectrum, and the awesomeness of the 80s. Spoiler alert: Yeltsin ends Communism.
Characters (9): The Size of a Play + Rock Band
Boris Yeltsin: Placido Domingo meets Betty Buckley
Clerk: Bon Jovi meets Freddy Mercury
Manager: Dolly Parton meets Lady Gaga.
Rent-a-Cop: Jim Bakker meets Elton John
Vladimir: Ivan Drago meets Baryshnikov meets RuPaul
Chorus: Everyone else!
The Band: Keyboard, Guitar, Bass, and Drums
Creators:
Evan Mack (music + book) winner of the 2024 American Prize in Composition, has built a vibrant career at the intersection of music and theater. His bold, genre-blending shows include Angel of the Amazon, The Secret of Luca, Roscoe, The Ghosts of Gatsby, Dragon’s Breath, and #IsOperaDead. Named Musical America’s 2018 Musician of the Year, he founded We Are Instrumental in 2020 to expand access to music education. www.EvanMack.com
Joshua McGuire (lyrics + book) writing has been called everything from “appealing and bittersweet” (The Washington Post) to “adolescent in the worst way” (Houston Press)—and he’s proud of both. A librettist and playwright, he’s held fellowships with Washington National Opera, Opera America, Yaddo, and more. He currently teaches at Vanderbilt University.
www.joshuamcguire.com
Christopher Mirto (book) directs across genres—from bold new musicals to opera, Shakespeare, and the avant-garde. He’s worked with Studio Theatre, Stella Adler, NJ Rep, Keen Company, Yale Rep, and more. Favorite collaborators include Michael Mitnick, Susan Soon He Stanton, and Royce Vavrek. He teaches at Oberlin Conservatory. MFA: Yale.
https://christophermirto.com
