t h e   s t o r y In Tod Kimbro’s wildly imagined future world, movie stars are sainted, gossip rags are history text-books, anti-depressants are mandatory,  and tiny computers reside in every good citizen’s brain.   It’s a society built on pleasure and disposability,  and Mogs loves every minute of it.  The teenage son of a dead guitar legend,  Mogs enjoys a lush and sheltered existence with his pill-popping ex-groupie mother, Loretta.   But Mogs’ world is changed forever when he meets Sunny Day, an aspiring pop diva and barely legal First Lady.  As they begin a forbidden romance, they must navigate between a ragtag group of rebels who aim to bring down the current regime and Sunny’s ruthless husband, a Hollywood bad-boy President intent on preserving  the illusion of democracy  in an increasingly oppressive America.   As the story reaches its breathless climax, Mogs and Sunny face a moral crisis:  continue thriving in a deeply flawed system of prescribed bliss and constant distraction, or expose the ugly truth beneath the glittery surface and plunge their world into chaos.  MY iLLUSTRiOUS WASTELAND  is a hugely entertaining theatrical ride, full of quirky humor, eye-popping visuals, inspired songwriting, dark whimsy, and plenty of rock star attitude.  t h e   s o n g s While  the  story  of  MY iLLUSTRiOUS WASTELAND gazes forward,  its electrifying score looks to the past.   A deeply nostalgic fusion of 70’s glam, classic rock and soul, old school country, and 80’s New Wave, the songs possess an appeal that easily crosses generational lines: their classic sound attracts seasoned listeners, while their edginess captivates young fans of the current retro-rock scene.  The lyrics--witty, intricate, and soulful--are equally at home in the world of rock n’ roll and the world of Broadway.  Author and composer Tod Kimbro built the show around songs from his 2006 debut album, Soundtrack to a Chemical Spill; seven of the existing songs have been reworked, and ten brand new pieces have been added, along with several recurring themes and variations.  The end result is  astonishing: a score that vibrates with emotion and pulsates with energy.