Inside “TUNEabomber”: The Unhinged Musical Turning Ted Kaczynski Into Cabaret Comedy
Photo via Tuneabomber
The Drunken Idea That Sparked “TUNEabomber”
John Lampe was drunk when he texted Michael Wysong about his idea for a new musical. What if Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, were a failed cabaret star? Wysong, who was also inebriated, took to the idea. They would call it The TUNEabomber.
Soon, the pair found themselves several years deep into manic research on Kaczynski’s life. The pandemic afforded them time to watch documentaries, read books, and parse through Kaczynski’s 35,000-word manifesto. Some of their friends and colleagues actually said the musical was too researched. As it turned out, the truth was closer than they imagined.
“We realized that musical theater performers have a lot in common with dangerous psychopaths,” said Wysong. “You have to be so full of yourself, and need this thing so badly that you're going to do anything to get it. We realized that a murderer probably has a lot of those same emotions.”
The show’s a small production—Lampe plays Ted, Wysong his court-appointed accompanist.
“This is gonna shock you, but when you send an email and say I’ve got this Unabomber musical, that’s usually the end of the conversation,” said Lampe.
Self-Producing a Show No One Asked For
Despite works like Oh, Mary and Titanique changing the landscape, it seems Broadway’s still a few years away from embracing the depravity of cabaret wannabe “Teddy.”
Self-producing, though, has afforded the duo some interesting opportunities. Since they aren’t beholden to a certain schedule, they’re free to take the show on the road as they see fit. TUNEabomber has toured around the Midwest, including a stop at an anarchist commune in Carbondale, Illinois.
Wysong and Lampe wrongly assumed “commune” was a tongue-in-cheek name for a grungy bar. When they turned up at a dimly lit basement full of barefoot spectators, they embraced the challenge nonetheless.
“I was a little worried. I don't know how Ted fits into modern anarcho politics,” said Lampe.
After chatting with the commune and sharing a potluck dinner, Wysong and Lampe discerned that while the group agreed with some of Kaczynski’s more salient points, there were ultimately better ways to affect change.
“There's gotta be something between calling a congressman and mailing bombs," laughed Wysong.
Bringing “TUNEabomber” Home to New York
The latest rendition of the show is coming home to New York City, where Lampe and Wysong will take their talents to a fifty-seat venue called the Reverie Room in the Upper East Side. Some fans have labeled the event “bodega dinner theater”––instead of a two-drink minimum, TUNEabomber requires attendees to spend $10 at the bodega directly beneath the comedy club.
They’ve already sold out their 7 PM and 9:30 PM shows on October 18th, but you can still purchase tickets to the added show on October 17th via their website.