Only in America, where greed, fame, crime and capitalism reign and members of a civilized society aspire to become part of the materialistic regime, can you discover the story of Elmer J. McCurdy, a futile outlaw who was gunned down in 1911. The new musical, which opened at the Minetta Lane Theatre with a book penned by Itamar Moses with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna follows the life and legacy of this hapless desperado. Although he did not gain notoriety as a bandit when alive, his mummified corpse became a prime example of capitalism, becoming an attraction at carnival side shows and wax museums throughout the country.

Elmer J McCurdy was born in 1880 in Maine and his seventeen-year-old mother Sadie was unmarried at that time, so his father is unknown, although there is suspicion that he was her cousin Charles Smith. Sadie’s brother and his wife adopted Elmer to protect her from the social stigma of an unwed mother. Elmer started drinking heavily when he was a young adult and became unruly but managed to learn the plumbing trade from his grandfather. Later, he was incapable of holding a job because of his extensive drinking. He joined the Army where he was trained to use nitroglycerin for demolition purposes. He was honorably discharged and began roaming the country looking for a place to settle. After running into an old Army buddy, the two were arrested for possessing burglary tools such as chisels, crow bars and nitroglycerin. He was found not guilty. He then turned to train robbery and later, bank robbery. Unfortunately, he failed miserably at every attempt and was gunned down after failing to rob a Katy Train with $400,000 onboard intended as royalty payments to the Osage Nation. He died in 1911 from a gunshot wound in the chest. McCurdy’s body was taken to an undertaker who embalmed him with arsenic after no family member came forth to claim his remains. This was common practice to preserve the body for a greater period.

This is where the story takes a turn and becomes sensational when you least expect it. The body is falsely claimed by long lost brothers who underhandedly buy the mummified corpse for a side show exhibit that travels across the country. It is then sold to the owner of a wax museum. It was also used in a B movie by a Hollywood producer before being sold to an amusement center in Long Beach California. There it was discovered by a crew member of the television series “Six Million Dollar Man” and brought to a forensic pathologist who discovers the identity of the corpse as Elmer J McCurdy.

The story is told by a guitar playing member of the band (a superb Jeb Brown) who also doubles as a character in one of the episodes. He acts as narrator, as different stages of Elmer’s life are explained and played out by a talented group of actors playing several roles, except the lead role of Elmer played by the remarkable Andrew Durand. Mr. Durand opens the show with “The Stars Are Bright” a soulful lullaby sung under the moonlit skies followed by the rambunctious, rebel rousing rock song “Dead” by the band and led by Mr. Brown. Julia Knitel as Elmer’s short-lived girlfriend delivers a lovely ballad “A Stranger” and shines as the young awkward schoolgirl as she sings “Millicent’s Song” to the corpse as he stands in his upright coffin. Thom Sesma makes his mark as the crooning coroner swooning his way through “Up to The Stars” and Trent Saunders turns in a memorable performance as the young Cherokee farmer Andy Payne, who wins a foot race running across the country on Rt.66. Eddie Cooper, Dahiell Eaves and Ken Marks offer strong, gracious support in many different roles.

The activities move along quickly, but director David Cromer makes sure characters are delineated and the story is crystal clear. Mr. Yazbek turns in a score that is extremely varied including rockabilly, pop rock, barbershop and endearing ballads that always hit the mark. Kudos must be given to Mr. Durand who plays a corpse standing in an upright coffin which is always onstage for nearly the entire second half of the show. At times you might think it is a life size dummy until you capture a blink of an eye. He has certainly mastered being “dead” still. This is an odd little musical with several messages that are most relevant today but are never delivered from the pulpit, rather discovered through song and story. It is a great evening of entertainment with a remarkably talented cast. Certainly, worth a trip to the Minetta Lane Theatre.