Muscle

Music by William Finn
Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Gareth Hendee

Muscle revolves around an intellectual Cornell grad named Max Riddle who takes a Gotham job in publishing but becomes irritated by his lack of a decent physique. So he heads to the gym, where he meets a pair of good-natured knuckleheads who take an interest in his training. He soon gets caught up in the world of steroids and bodybuilding.

Muscle

Pegasus Players in Chicago, Illinois
June 5, 2001 – July 22, 2001

Reviews & Features

“Lapine has said he originally intended ‘Muscle’ to be the second one-act drama to follow ‘Passion.’ But when that much-admired Sondheim tuner became a full-length affair, this show became a separate project. Since Chi’s Pegasus Players debuted Sondheim’s ‘Saturday Night’ to great success a couple of seasons ago, Lapine picked the low-budget house for the first flex of ‘Muscle.’”

Chris Jones for Variety, 2001