PHOTOS: MOTEL RASDELL Opens at Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Motel Rasdell, A New Musical based on local legends, opened last night at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium!

As college roommates, writers Christina Bracco and Danielle DeMatteo (a Tewksbury native) were sharing the stories of seedy motels in their hometowns, and decided that these stories would make a great musical. After writing a few songs and sketches, the project grew into a full-length piece that was picked up by producers in New York. The show ran in New York City in 2013 and 2014, Chicago in June of this year, and will be heading back to Chicago immediately following the Lowell run.

The local roots are clear in the show, which mentions the supermarket “Market Bucket,” the sunny and sweet town of “Billington” versus the dingy town of “Dimsbury,” and of course the “Motel Rasdell,” which inevitably conjures up memories of a recently closed-down motel in the area after having made national headlines.

Motel Rasdell is full of Burlington natives, both on and off the stage. Director Kim Cook is also a Burlington Public Schools teacher, and she directs Gabrielle Corsino after having had her in her kindergarten class. Burlington resident Kerry Rosen-Moe is also in the cast, as well as Jamie Cook, who returns to the show after starring in the 2013 and 2014 New York City productions. Maureen Krebs designed the 1940s period costumes.

The year is 1948 and journalist John Applegate has everything a man could want: A beautiful home, a perfect family and a job promotion that’s sending him up the ladder at his newspaper job. So when his first project as chief reporter sends him to investigate the area’s most notoriously sleazy motel, he thinks nothing could possibly go wrong...until it does. Jazzy political satire Motel Rasdell follows what happens when John encounters the motel’s eccentric group of prostitutes and drug dealers, who are all just trying to make a living. When he exposes the lovable misfits’ biggest secrets, all hell breaks loose - will it be every man for himself, or will the Rasdwellers band together to save the only home they’ve ever known?

Musical direction is by Anthony Sacco of Tewksbury, Set Design by recent Andover High School grad Sasha Schwartz, and Lighting Design by Jeff Boisseau of Leominster. Choreographed by Brendan Stackhouse, Associate Choreographer of Broadway’s 2015 TONY Award Winner for Best Musical, Fun Home.

Motel Rasdell runs at Lowell Memorial Auditorium July 9-19th, 2015. For more information and tickets, visit www.motelrasdellmusical.com!