Sometimes it helps to have a sense of humor….and this looks like it’ll be a hoot:

Piper McKenzie presents the world premiere of Trav S.D.’s

WILLY NILLY: A Musical Exploitation of the Most Far Out Cult Murders of the Psychedelic Era

in the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival

August, 2009 marks the 40^th anniversary of the Tate-Labianca Murders, committed by the psychedelic hippie cult commonly known as the Manson Family. In observance of that date (and of the 10^th anniversary of their first FringeNYC production), Piper McKenzie is presenting the World Premiere of Trav S.D.’s Willy Nilly: A Musical Exploitation of the Most Far Out Cult Murders of the 1960s.

Charles Manson meets Mad Magazine in this tasteless rock’n’roll spoof about a filthy faux-Messiah, his cult of wanton women, and high Hollywood murder. With a raucous score, gratuitous nudity, acid freakouts, excessive gore, cruel stereotypes and slapstick misogyny, consider this fictionalized musical satire the anti-Hair.

The cast includes the production’s playwright/songwriter Trav S.D. (No Applause, Just Throw Money; House of Trash), co-producer Hope Cartelli (Babylon Babylon; John Goldfarb, Please Come Home), Becky Byers, Maggie Cino, Michael Criscuolo, Betsy Head, Daryl Lathon(member AEA), Rich Lovejoy, Mateo Moreno, Esther Silberstein, Adam Swiderski, and Elizabeth Hope Williams, and  introduces Avery Pearson as the Manson-inspired title character. Live music will be provided by The Four Hoarses, a new psychedelic band featuring Derek Davidson (The Electric Mess, ZZ Top cover band Cheap SunglasseZZ), Oweinama Biu (Madam Robot, The Lust Brigade and The Electric Mess), Darro “Sparkie” Sandler and Chris Talsness (formerly of The Electric Mess and Flaming Fire).

Other personnel already signed on include director and co-producer Jeff Lewonczyk (Babylon Babylon; John Goldfarb, Please Come Home); sound designer Ryan Holsopple (That’s Not How Mahler Died: METRONOMA); prop and costume designer Julianne Kroboth (Babylon Babylon; No Applause, Just Throw Money); and stage manager Guinevere Pressley.

The show will perform at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie St. between Rivington and Delancey) as part of FringeNYC.

The performance dates and times are as follows:

Fri 8/14 at 5pm
Sun 8/16 at 8:30pm
Fri 8/21 at 11pm
Sat 8/22 at 4:45pm
Sat 8/29 at 8pm

Tickets will be available beginning at 12:01am on Friday, July 24by visiting www.fringenyc.org or calling 866.468.7619.