t h e   s t o r y MY iLLUSTRiOUS WASTELAND book, music and lyrics by Tod Kimbro based on a concept by Jason Bowles Movie stars are sainted, anti-depressants are mandatory,  and a tiny computer resides in every good citizen’s brain.   It’s a society built on pleasure and disposability,  and Mogs loves every minute of it.  The twenty-something 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. To visit the Wasteland show page and hear tracks from the show, click here. t h e   s t o r y   b e h i n d   t h e   s t o r y WASTELAND was inspired by a series of playful debates between Tod and his partner, Jason Bowles, who decided long ago that he wanted an implanted computer that could allow him to send emails, pay bills, and explore a fantastical virtual web through a series of mental double-clicks.  Tod countered that Jason's concept--while convenient and super-fun--might cause some problems.   And--besides--this kind of technology could never be possibe.  A few years later, Tod was proved wrong by a special on the Discovery Channel which stated that this technology was not only possible, but probable.  This new knowledge came around the time when Tod was wriitng the songs for his  Soundtrack to a Chemical Spill.  It occured to him: maybe these songs would end up being an actual soundtrack, and maybe some of Jason's wild concepts, mingled with his own, could be the basis for the sci-fi musical he'd been longing to write for nearly a decade.  So, in other words, without the wonderfully warped mind of his beloved boyfriend, none of this would ever be possible.