Meghan McCain Says ‘The Ghost Of John McCain’ Stage Musical Was Not Authorized By Late Senator’s Family – Update

Greg Evans

9 January 2024 at 3:51 pm·2-min read

UPDATE with Meghan McCain statement: Meghan McCain says her family has not authorized a new, planned musical inspired by – and named after – her late father.

But considering that the in-development musical features fictionalized characters based on public figures, John McCain included, it’s unlikely producers need any such authorization. Deadline has reached out to a show spokesperson for comment.

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In an exclusive statement to The Messenger, McCain said, “My family has not authorized it nor was aware of it. I was as surprised as everyone else to see the announcement.”

This morning, producers Quixote Productions and Max Fose announced an invitation-only industry reading later this week in New York of what they call a “provocative and zeitgeisty” new musical titled The Ghost of John McCain. The musical features a book by Scott Elmegreen and score by Drew Fornarola.

In their announcement, the producers describe the musical as “a unique psychological exploration of power, rivalry, and the human condition.” Among the show’s characters: “Donald Trump’s brain.”

Directed by Marya Mazor and featuring Take Me Out Broadway actor Ken Marks as the late Senator from Arizona, the reading, set for Thursday, also includes Hudson Loverro as Donald Trump, Major Attaway as Donald Trump’s brain and Others, Ann Harada as Karen and Others, Andrew Polk as Lindsey Grahan and Others, and Angie Schworer as Hillary Clinton and Others.

The official synopsis: “In Ghost of John McCain, the late Vietnam War hero-turned-senator awakens, horrified to find himself back in captivity, in the afterlife, inside the mind of Donald Trump. As a prisoner of Trump’s war to win the approval of an establishment that Trump both reveres and scorns, McCain must fight for his freedom by engaging in a high-stakes debate over life, legacy, and American values. As McCain navigates the surreal landscape within Trump’s consciousness, a ‘Greek Chorus’ of iconic public figures, including Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, Eva Peron, Teddy Roosevelt, Robert Jordan, and Lindsey Graham, rebel against the President’s relentless demands for affirmation.”

Elmegreen and Fornarola are best known for their well-reviewed Off Broadway 2016 comedy-drama Straight about a bisexual romantic triangle.

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