Dorothy “Dot” Wiggin Semprini and Betty Wiggin Porter — the two surviving members of the band, The Shaggs — attended the opening night of the new musical The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, co-presented by Playwrights Horizons and New York Theatre Workshop, at Playwrights’ Mainstage Theatre, on June 7.
Also in attendance at the opening were the surviving Shaggs’ sister Rachel Wiggin Gould (not depicted in the musical), and guests Stephen Bogardus, Trip Cullman, Mary Testa, Kate Reinders, and Bess Wohl.
Based on a true story, The Shaggs is about a working class dad who believes his vision of rock n’ roll destiny for his three talentless daughters will be the family’s one-way ticket out of hardship and obscurity.
The show features a book by Joy Gregory, music by Gunnar Madsen, lyrics by Gregory and Madsen, and story by Gregory, Madsen and John Langs, with direction by Langs.
The cast includes Peter Friedman as Austin Wiggin, Jamey Hood as Dot Wiggin, Sarah Sokolovic as Betty Wiggin, and Emily Walton as Helen Wiggin, as well as Kevin Cahoon (Charley/Bobby), Annie Golden (Annie), Steve Routman (Hank), and Cory Michael Smith (Kyle).
For TheaterMania’s review of the musical, click here.
