Murder Ballad is the startling Off Broadway musical that makes its way to London’s West End. Written and conceived by Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash, Murder Ballad is the dark rock musical that documents a deadly love triangle in the heart of New York. Narrated by a bartender, Murder Ballad follows Sara as she struggles to choose between her racy relationship with the devilish Tom and her reliable husband Michael. When the illicit affair is discovered, it is certain that blood must be spilled. But whose? Making its West End premiere at London’s Arts Theatre, the original cast included Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Norman Bowman and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt.
Juliana Nash
Juliana Nash, Julia Jordan
Julia Jordan
Daniel Hinchcliffe and Johnny Wood for Soundcheck Productions
Sam Yates
Original London Production
Arts Theatre - Opened 30 Sep 2016, closed 29 Oct 2016
Cast: Kerry Ellis (Sara), Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Narrator), Ramin Karimloo (Tom), Norman Bowman (Michael)
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Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash’s passionate, treacherous musical Murder Ballad follows a doomed love triangle with a deadly climax.
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Set in the dark streets of New York, Murder Ballad centres on an illicit love triangle that leaves one lover much worse off than the others. Following Sara, the musical focuses on her love-struck relationship with edgy ex-boyfriend Tom and safe, reliable husband, Michael. Narrated by a darkly sexy bartender, she documents Sara’s torrid affair with the dangerous Tom.
Accompanied by a range of rock songs, the Narrator takes the audience between Sara’s passionate relationships with Tom, to a more intimate, love-filled lust after quiet poet Michael. An actor and bartender, Tom is much more gritty and she is instantly drawn back to him. When the relationship ultimately splits, Sara finds herself back in the safe arms of Michael.
But Sara quickly begins to long for the danger her old life brought and begins to struggle with her downtown past and uptown future. Is it worth risking everything for the one that got away? Struggling to decide between the two men, the musical leads to a treacherous, murderous and bloody climax.
Act I
- “Murder Ballad” – Narrator, Sara, Michael and Tom
- “Narrator 1” – Narrator, Sara and Tom
- “I Love NY” – Sara and Tom
- “Narrator 2” – Narrator
- “Little by Little” – Michael and Sara
- “Troubled Mind/Promises” – Michael and Sara
- “Narrator 3” – Narrator
- “Turning into Beautiful” – Michael and Sara
- “Crying Scene Theme” – Narrator
- “I Love NY (Reprise 1)/Narrator 4” – Tom and Narrator
- “Prattle 1/Narrator 5” – Michael, Sara and Narrator
- “Coffee’s On” – Sara and Narrator
- “Prattle 2” – Michael and Sara
- “Narrator 6” – Narrator
- “Sara” – Tom, Narrator and Sara
- “Narrator 7” – Narrator
- “Mouth Tattoo” – Sara, Tom and Narrator
- “Narrator 8” – Narrator, Sara and Tom
- “Sugar Cubes and Rock Salt” – Michael
- “Prattle 3” – Michael, Sara and Tom
- “My Name” – Tom and Sara
- “The Crying Scene” – Narrator
- “Coffee’s On (Reprise)” – Michael, Sara and Tom
- “Built for Longing” – Sara, Michael, Tom and Narrator
- “Answer Me” – Sara, Tom and Michael
- “You Belong to Me” – Tom and Sara
- “Narrator 9” – Narrator
- “Troubled Mind (Reprise)” – Sara and Michael
- “I Love NY (Reprise 2)” – Tom and Narrator
- “Prattle 4” – Sara and Michael
- “I’ll Be There” – Tom and Narrator
- “Prattle 5” – Michael, Tom and Sara
- “Little by Little (Reprise)” – Michael and Sara
- “Narrator 10/You Belong to Me (Reprise)” – Sara, Narrator, Michael and Tom
- “Crying Scene (Reprise)” – Narrattor
- “Narrator 11” – Narrator
- “Walk Away/Promises (Reprise)” – Sara and Michael
- “Clubs and Diamonds/Prattle 6” – Narrator and Sara
- “Finale” – Narrator, Michael, Sara and Tom
UK: Josef Weinberger
USA: Musical Theatre International