Tom Morello's "Revolution(s)" arrives as protest and performance collide
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine performs in London in 2019. Photo: Ollie Millington/Redferns/Getty Images
A new musical by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello has arrived at the Goodman Theatre at a pivotal time.
Why it matters: "Revolution(s)" had been planned to open in October for months, but the musical might as well be ripped from today's headlines.
- "This is a musical for people who don't normally go to musicals," Morello tells Axios. "This is a musical for Rage Against the Machine fans."
Zoom in: This Chicago production is the brainchild of Morello and Zayd Ayers Dohrn, the son of Chicago's infamous revolutionaries Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. The story weaves together Morello's music and Dohrn's story about a veteran returning to the South Side and a new political reality.
What they're saying: "The idea in this thing was to make a bit of radical theater," Morello said. "This ain't 'Lion King.' Like, this would be the last big theatrical event before they throw us all in jail."
Context: Morello, a Libertyville native, is a Generation X rebel. Alongside his Rage bandmates, he made massively popular music that thrust political protest into the mainstream.
- They created the Gen X rallying cry: "F*ck you, I won't do what you tell me."
Case in point: The band's performance outside the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles served as a flashpoint for resistance, arguing through their music that the political system was broken.
- Police cut the power and dispersed the large crowd using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets.
Zoom out: It's not lost on Morello that this musical, a decade in the making, is premiering during a chaotic time in Chicago history. ICE agents have tear-gassed crowds and grabbed people out of homes and cars as part of "Operation Midway Blitz," not unlike scenes you would have seen in past Rage music videos.
- "Right now, every act of art is an act of resistance," Morello reflected. "Every song is a lamp lit in the growing darkness. Every time someone is creative in this crazy and dark time, it's a beacon call to future generations who will hopefully undo this madness."
What's next: "Revolution(s)" runs through Nov. 16.