Surprises abound throughout Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the remarkably inventive and often hilarious musical retelling of the life of America's controversial seventh president by Alex Timbers (who also directed) and composer-lyricist Michael Friedman, now at the Public Theater.

For example, who knew Martin Van Buren (the absolutely hilarious Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) loved Twinkies? Or that John Quincy Adams (the rollickingly fey Jeff Hiller) was such a wuss. Or especially that the troubled Jackson (the striking Benjamin Walker, possessing a perfect blend of rock-star charisma and little-boy vulnerability) once indulged in one of his ritual self-bleedings while Cher's "Song for the Lonely" [...]