Joe Goode to Choreograph Girlfriend Musical at Berkeley Rep

Joe Goode will serve as choreographer for Berkeley Repertory Theatre‘s world premiere musical, Girlfriend, featuring music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet (from his album of the same name) and a book by Todd Almond. Les Waters will direct the production, which will play April 9-May 9, with an opening on April 14.

Goode is a choreographer, writer, and director whose work includes direction of the opera Transformations, to his play Body Familiar, which premiered at the Magic Theatre in 2003. His company, The Joe Goode Performance Group, formed in 1986, tours regularly throughout the US, and has toured internationally to Africa, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and South America.

This new musical is woven around the love songs of Sweet’s landmark album Girlfriend, and tells the boy meets boy romance of teenagers Will and Mike. The production will feature performers Ryder Bach and Jason Hite, accompanied by a live band featuring Shelley Doty (lead guitarist), ieela Grant (drummer), Jean DuSablon (bassist), and Julie Wolf (music director, rhythm guitarist, and keyboard player).

The design team will include David Zinn (scenic and costume designer), Japhy Weideman (lighting designer), and Jake Rodriguez (sound designer).

For more information, visit berkeleyrep.org.