A ‘Barcode’ Hits the Great White Way

by: Diego Martínez

When the musical “Hair” opened to stunned crowds on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre on April 29, 1968, it seemed that the bizarre marriage between Rock music and the art of theater was going to be a one-off thing. As time proved, it became a long lasting union with successful examples found in Godspell, Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Show and Chess, and even contemporary hits like Aida, Spring Awakening, Rent! and American Idiot, just to name a few.

With Indie music making its way to the forefront of American Top 40 radio, it was only a matter of time before this genre played the field on Gotham City’s Great White Way. New York quartet Gladshot, known for their dynamic live concerts and sharing the stage alongside Ok Go, The Antlers and Free Energy, are partnering with the creator of “Hair,” writer James Rado, and the associate director of “American Idiot” Johanna McKeon to create the ultimate futuristic rock-n-roll musical: “Barcode.” 

Described as a tale of flag fests, mandatory debt, freedom viruses, prozac pops, and true love, “Barcode” is the story of a dystopian future in which one corporation, Earth Corp, dominates society. Wielding control over the populous by imprinting barcodes on the wrists of every citizen, Earth Corp monitors all activity and privacy is virtually extinct. All the while, a star-crossed romance develops between Dorna, a member of the resistance, and Nest, the son of an Earth Corp News Anchor. The play finds Gladshot both performing live onstage surrounded by several actors and taking on lead roles themselves, on what should be an interesting project.

“Barcode” is showing at New York City’s Bowery Electric on September 30th, October 1st, and October 2nd. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketweb.