Photo credit: David Morgan

The rock musical Spring Awakening has been justly praised as a deeply moving tragedy of youth. But it's fair to say that if the late-thirtysomething co-authors Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater had chosen to play the leading roles of teenagers Melchior and Moritz, the show would probably have been something less than the triumph it is, regardless of the strength of the material.

This point is germane to BASH'd, a gay rap opera now playing Off-Broadway at The Zipper Factory Theater. Written and performed by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, with music by Aaron Macri, the show was named Outstanding Musical of the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival and won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding N.Y. Theater. Among the several other honors it has captured are “Pick of the Fringe” at the 2007 Toronto Fringe Festival and the Gay City News “Aggie Award” for Best Live Performance of 2007.

One can only assume that these awards were intended to recognize the excellence of the writing, and that those who have lauded BASH'd thus far were not bothered by the fact that Craddock and Cuckow themselves have played the young heroes of their show in all previous productions, even though they seem to be about 20 years too old for these roles.

Nathan Cuckow (left) & Chris Craddock
Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

But while there may have been justification for the authors casting themselves in readings, workshops, and Fringe presentations, it's difficult to fathom why they have chosen to stay put in these parts for an open-ended run of the show in New York City, where scores if not hundreds of age-and-type-appropriate actors are readily available.

Set in Canada, whence Craddock and Cuckow hail, BASH'd tells the tale of Jack and Dillon, who fall in love at first sight when they meet at a club. “Like a puzzle that's missing a piece / Like a coiled tension in need of release / The peace they feel in each other's arms / The perfect silence, the protection from harm.”

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

This being Canada, they are free to marry, which they do — but their world is torn apart when Jack is brutally beaten by a band of homophobic thugs. That ugly bit of violence leads to revenge violence, which in turn leads to the death of both young men.