Show Finder

Steel Hammer

First Preview: Nov 10, 2015
Opening Date: Dec 2, 2015
Closing Date: Dec 6, 2015
Running Time: 01:55
Steel Hammer

Share on Social Media

Playing @
BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Who was John Henry? According to Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen, he was a steel-driving railroad man who outperformed a steam drill before dying with his hammer in hand. But versions of the indelible American myth vary.

In this staged incarnation of her work Steel Hammer, 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe teams with director Anne Bogart and SITI Company to distill the discrepancies of over 200 variants of the classic ballad and legend into a theatrical post-minimalist mountain-music hybrid. Playwrights Kia Corthron, Will Power, Carl Hancock Rux, and Regina Taylor provide additional texts as three singers and the Bang on a Can All-Stars—fortified with banjo, bones, mountain dulcimer, and other Appalachian instruments—give the folk hero a newfangled song for a new century.

Julia Wolfe and SITI Company 
Bang on a Can All-Stars 
Directed by Anne Bogart
Original text by Kia Corthron, Will Power, Carl Hancock Rux, and Regina Taylor
Choreography by Barney O’Hanlon

 
Part of 2015 Next Wave Festival

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
WEDNESDAY thru SATURDAY @ 7:30 PM
SUNDAY @ 3 PM
RegionalConcertPerformance Art
Show Notes: No Intermission
Age Guidance: 13

TDF Tickets Offers:

TDF Member tickets:

Not currently available for this show

Listed at

Never

Full-price tickets:

$25.00 - $75.00

Lottery & Rush

For live events, come to the BAM box office no earlier than 90 minutes prior to the performance to inquire. Rush tickets are $10 and are available to students 29 & under with a valid ID, veterans and active military, and seniors 65 & over. There is a limit of two tickets per purchase. Seating is at the discretion of the box office and is based on availability.

Video

Reviews

  • …spectacularly inventive and original music theater…”

    —Los Angeles Times
  • …spectacularly inventive and original music theater…”

    —Los Angeles Times
  • …spectacularly inventive and original music theater…”

    —Los Angeles Times
  • …spectacularly inventive and original music theater…”

    —Los Angeles Times

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair Info

    Four locations. Two areas in aisle of orchestra. Can accommodate two wheelchairs each.
  • Elevator/Escalator

    Elevator: Automatic. Accesses orchestra level (2nd floor only). Raised lettering.
  • Passenger Loading Zone

    Front.
  • Parking

    Lots: Two, both marked BAM across street. Spaces on street close to main entrance can be reserved.
  • Curb Ramps

    Corner of Ashland Pl. & Fulton St.
  • Entrance

    Double doors in series: 1st set (each 28.5) has one pair of automatic doors from 44th St. to Ticket Lobby with push-button control. 2nd set (each 28", attended by ushers) to inner lobby. Doors wide and heavy, but usually open during performances. Marked with large lettering.
  • Box Office

    Ticket Lobby. Counters 38.5", 41.5", 47". Accessible pass-through with writing shelf at 32". Assistance available.Main level. Counter less than 48".
  • Restroom

    Womens: 1st floor. Outer door wider than 32". Stall door 29". Stall size less than 60". Commode 18". Grab bars.Mens: 1st floor. Outer door wider than 32". Stall doors 31". Stall size less than 60". Commode 18". Grab bars.
  • Water Fountain

    Main Lobby. Spouts 36" and 44".Ask usher for cups.
  • Telephone

    Ticket lobby. Coin slot 46". Cord 29". With TTY and electric outlet.
  • Assisted Listening System

    yes
  • Visual Assistance

    None.

TDF Social Feed

TDF
TDF3 days ago

Blending horror, humor, and a pulsing ‘80s rock score, The Lost Boys takes flight as a bold new stage adaptation of the cult classic film. With high-flying theatricality and a...

tdfnyc3 days ago
Blending horror, humor, and a pulsing ‘80s rock score, The Lost Boys (@lostboysmusical) takes flight as a bold new stage adaptation of the cult classic film. With high-flying...
tdfnyc4 days ago
“It has that same essence, only we’re doing it in front of 1,700 people a night instead of 50.” - Longtime @titaniquemusical cast member @thejohnriddle says of the #Broadway production. The...
TDF
TDF4 days ago
Titanique, The Musical director-cocreator Tye Blue and longtime cast member John Riddle talk to TDF Stages about their voyage on the shtick of dreams 🚢
TDF
TDF5 days ago

Gavin Creel wasn’t just a beloved Broadway performer, he was also an accomplished songwriter. Check out his humorous tribute to the art of appreciating art for free on The Metropolitan...

tdfnyc1 week ago
“I think one of the great things about TDF is it democratizes theatre.” For Francis Jue, seeing theatre didn’t just shape his career, it taught him how to be human....
tdfnyc1 week ago
TDF teamed up with the new Broadway musical Beaches for a special Best Friends Night, bringing real-life pals together to celebrate the power of friendship. From confidantes of just a...
TDF
TDF1 week ago
We had an amazing time at the TDF Autism Friendly Performance of Buena Vista Social Club! Thank you all for joining us.
tdfnyc1 week ago
From the TDF Costume Collection to Schmigadoon! McKenzie Kurtz shares her excitement about wearing a piece from the @tdfcostumecollection as Betsy in this new Broadway musical comedy. Happy opening night...
tdfnyc2 weeks ago
“Can I say that she is my muse? Because she is. Her voice started to get in my head, so much so that whenever I would hit a bump in...
TDF
TDF2 weeks ago

“To have that very specific unicorn of a voice is such a gift to a writer, and then such a gift to an audience when she delivers her brilliance.” –...

TDF
TDF
TDF2 weeks ago

TDF's FREE Young Playwrights Summer Program is currently seeking applicants! Rising high school juniors and seniors as well as spring 2026 graduates from NY, NJ and CT are eligible. Sessions...