A musical about Martha Stewart will soon hit the stage in New York
Um, you guys. Martha Stewart: The Musical? Two words: HELLS YEAH! Performer Ryan Raftery is giving us life by bringing to life “America’s favorite purveyor of perfectionism” in The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Martha Stewart, a new play bowing at Joe’s Pub in New York August 7th.
The play, which begins on the day Stewart (played by Raftery) is to report to prison, promises to serve up an extra helping of campy comedy with a little tragedy on the side, a recipe sure to delight guests who enjoy indulging in sweet and salty pairings of the epicurean and theatrical varieties. And according to Raftery, it’s a good thing.
“It’s a survival story,” Raftery told Women’s Wear Daily. “The fact that she went to prison has an operatic quality. She understands that it gives her great credibility.” The actor describes Stewart’s life story as one of ups and downs, with the media mogul clawing her way up from her humble beginnings in Nutley, New Jersey to become America’s premiere lifestyle icon, and doing so without apology.
"Martha is the queen of zero f-cks given," he said.
This #sorrynotsorry quality that seasons Raftery’s portrayal of Martha is one the actor finds particularly appealing in the people he chooses to embody onstage. In addition to his forthcoming play about Martha, Raftery has also written, directed, and starred in musicals about Vogue‘s Anna Wintour and Bravo’s Andy Cohen, with this summer’s production rounding out a theatrical media trilogy he calls “Titans of Media.”
And will Martha be receiving an engraved invitation to Raftery’s show? “I will follow the proper channels to invite her,” he said. “But it’s a hell of a lot of pressure on opening night.”
