The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World

The Powerhouse Theatre Company presents The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, by Joy Gregory with music by Gunnar Madsen, at [Inside] the Ford in Hollywood. John Langs directs, musical direction is by David O., and Ken Roht (recent recipient of a $45,000 TIME grant from A.S.K.) choreographs.

The Shaggs is the strange but true story of one of the worst bands in rock ‘n roll history – a so-called “outsider” girl group that played in their home town of Fremont, New Hampshire during the late ’60s and early ’70s. The three Wiggin sisters: Dot (guitar, vocals), Betty (guitar, vocals) and Helen (drums) recorded two albums before their father, Austin, died and the band died along with him. The Shaggs’ first album, “Philosophy of the World”, was recorded before the girls knew how to play their instruments. With the attention of Frank Zappa and NRBQ, it has since become a cult classic. The score of the musical uses both original material and actual Shaggs music, traveling back and forth between the untapped, strange beauty in the Wiggin sisters’ heads and the weird, misshapen sound that came out of them.

There is no performance on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27).