Photos: Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s “Bakwas Bumbug” at The Wild Project in NY

Opening night for the cast and creative team of Bakwas Bumbug at The Wild Project in the East Village on June 22, 2011. (L-R) front row- Rehana Lew Mirza, Rohi Mirza Pandya, Lipica Shah, J. Kaitlin Becker, Roopa Mahadevan; back row Shiv, Nick Choksi, Kiarri D. Andrews, Sanjiv Jhaveri, Ryan Kim, Christian Carter, Andrew Guilarte and Samrat Chakrabarti. Photo by Lia Chang

Last night, I got a taste of Christmas in June, Desi style, at The Wild Project in the East Village, where Bakwas Bumbug, an electrifying musical reinvention of A Christmas Carol, told thru the looking glass of NYC Immigrants and Hyphenated America, composed by Samrat Chakrabarti and featuring a book and lyrics by Sanjiv Jhaveri and Samrat Chakrabarti, is being presented as a 70 minute workshop production through June 26, 2011.

Sanjiv Jhaveri and Samrat Chakrabarti, co-creators and co-directors of Bakwas Bumbug at The Wild Project in the East Village after the opening night performance on June 22, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Presented by Desipina and Co. (Rehana Lew Mirza, Artistic Director & Rohi Mirza Pandya, Producing Director), Samrat Chakrabarti and Sanjiv Jhaveri’s Bakwas Bumbug is a delicious treat, poignant, touching, and laugh out loud funny.

Bakwas Bumbug cast with co-creator and co-director Sanjiv Jhaveri in rehearsal at DANY Studios in New York on 6/16/11. © 2011 Lia Chang

Bakwas Bumbug , the first Indian American full length musical written, composed & performed by the Diaspora, has a raw in-your-face energy that combines the angst of shows like RENT and AMERICAN IDIOT with an Eastern melodic flair. The very talented cast of this Popera (pop opera) includes Kiarri D. Andrews, J. Kaitlin Becker, Christian Carter, Nick Choksi, Andrew Guilarte, Ryan Kim, Roopa Mahadevan and Lipica Shah. Equally interesting to watch is Samrat Chakrabarti who co-wrote the book and lyrics and composed the score, playing the keys without sheet music and orchestrating the show.

Shiv on the drums, Samrat Chakrabarti, Bakwas Bumbug co-creator, co-director and composer in rehearsal at DANY Studios in New York on 6/16/11. © 2011 Lia Chang

Bakwas Bumbug also features Shiv on the drums and Tony in the booth. The creative team includes lighting design by Jeff McCrum, costume design by Jenny Fisher and set design by Shehab Hossain.

The cast of Bakwas Bumbug in rehearsal at DANY Studios in New York on 6/16/11. © 2011 Lia Chang

Thanks also to Chakrabarti and Jhaveri who allowed me to come photodocument their rehearsal of Bakwas Bumbug for my collection at The Library of Congress, The Lia Chang Asian Pacific American Theater Photography and Other Works Portfolio. Some of the photos from rehearsal will be on display at The Library of Congress from July 23-30, 2011 in Washington D.C.

The cast of Bakwas Bumbug in rehearsal at DANY Studios in New York on 6/16/11. © 2011 Lia Chang

Bakwas Bumbug played five workshop performances and the creators hope to bring it back as a mainstage production at the end of the year. I look forward to the next installment.

Sakina Jaffrey congratulates Samrat Chakrabarti after the opening night performance of Bakwas Bumbug at The Wild Project in the East Village on June 22, 2011. © 2011 Lia Chang

Desipina & Co. Website

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: Desipina & Co presents Samrat Chakrabarti & Sanjiv Jhaveri’s “Bakwas Bumbug” at The Wild Project, 6/22-26
Photos: Samrat Chakrabarti, Soham Mehta and Shiva Shankar Bajpai at the New York Indian Film Festival
Click here for other articles on Samrat Chakrabarti.
Multimedia: The River Crosses Rivers Opening Night Photos
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and herefor the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.