Tag Archives: Hands on a Hardbody

Hands on a Hardbody Ends Its Broadway Run Today

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Hands on a Hardbody Broadway ShowThe first major casualty of the new Spring shows, Hands on a Hardbody closes at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre today. The new Broadway musical concludes after having played 28 preview performances and just 28 regular performances.

Inspired by a 1997 documentary that captured a real-life competition in which small town Texans competed for a brand new pickup truck by seeing who could keep their hands on it the longest, Hands on a Hardbody had music by Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio, lyrics by Amanda Green, and a book by Doug Wright.

The cast of the Broadway production of Hands on a Hardbody featured Keith Carradine (previously seen on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies), Hunter Foster (Little Shop of Horrors, Urinetown), and Keala Settle.

Hands on a Hardbody Documentary Gets New Release

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Hands on a Hardbody DocumentaryFans of the new Broadway musical Hands on a Hardbody will be pleased to learn that the 1997 documentary of the same name is now getting released on DVD and in movie theaters. The documentary directed by S.R. Bindler, which hasn’t been available for over 10 years, has been digitally restored and re-mastered.

Hands on a Hardbody offers a candid look at a 1995 competition that offered 24 Texans in a small town the chance to win a pickup truck. The contestants were challenged to keep at least one hand on the truck as long as possible, with the last person still touching the truck winning it. The competition lasted 77 hours.

New York City film-goers can catch Hands on a Hardbody at the IFC Center on March 20, before it continues on a screening tour that will take it to locations in Texas, California, and Washington. And after seeing the documentary, you can buy a ticket to see the musical version — written by Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green, and Doug Wright — at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway!

Hands on a Hardbody Begins Broadway Performances

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Hands on a Hardbody Broadway ShowOne of this Broadway season’s few original new musicals, Hands on a Hardbody starts preview performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre today. Inspired by a real-life competition, Hands on a Hardbody is about 10 Texans who spend days in the heat keeping at least one hand on a beautiful new truck in an effort to win it.

Continuing with an intriguing trend of pop and rock music artists lending their talents to Broadway shows, Phish’s Trey Anastasio has co-written the music for Hands on a Hardbody. Amanda Green (Bring It On: The Musical) supplies both music and lyrics, and Doug Wright has written the show’s book.

The cast of Hands on a Hardbody is led by Keith Carradine, and his co-stars include Hunter Foster, Jim Newman, William Youmans, Allison Case, and Jay Armstrong Johnson, among others. The musical is set for an open run, with its opening night scheduled for March 21.