La Jolla Playhouse to Premiere Hands on a Hardbody by Doug Wright, Amanda Green & Phish’s Trey Anastasio

The world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody, a previously reported commission by La Jolla Playhouse, will debut at the theater on April 27, 2012. The new musical features a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife) and a score by Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and Trey Anastasio of Phish. The production will feature direction by Atlantic Theater Company’s Neil Pepe and choreography by Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan).

Based on the documentary film Hands on a Hard Body by S. R. Bindler, the show centers on an auto dealership in Longview, Texas that launches an endurance contest. Ten economically strapped strangers embark on a journey that puts their hearts, minds and bodies to the test, and the contestant that keeps at least one hand on a brand-new hardbody truck the longest gets to drive it off the lot. Only one can win, but for all involved, that truck holds the key to their own private American dream.

Hands on a Hardbody will run through June 10, 2012.