Be More Chill

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Be More Chill

Full-Length Musical, Comedy

Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis / Book by Joe Tracz / Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini

The fan-favorite musical Be More Chill is a rocking new sci-fi musical about growing up, high school, and what we will do to get what we want.

Photography by Maria Baranova

Be More Chill

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  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: 2019 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Musical
    Nominee: 2019 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations
    Nominee: 2019 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Lyrics
    Nominee: 2019 Tony Award, Best Original Score
Licence details
  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
Be More Chill

Details

Summary
Jeremy Heere is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about "The Squip," a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most: a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk? Be More Chill is based on the novel by Ned Vizzini.
History
Be More Chill premiered on May 30, 2015 at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. The show's cast recording gained a huge following online, reaching the Top 10 of Billboard's Cast Album chart in July 2017. On August 9, 2018, Be More Chill opened off-Broadway at the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center. On March 10, 2019, Be More Chill opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre, where it played until August 11, 2019.
Cast Attributes
  • Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)
  • Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • High School/Secondary
  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Professional Theatre

PRINCIPALS
3 Men
1 Woman

FEATURED
3 Men
3 Women

CHARACTERS
Jeremy Heere (Range: A2-A4) – Awkward high school junior
Christine Canigula (Range: F3-D5) –  High school theater girl, sweetly dorky
Michael Mell (Range: B2-A4) – Jeremy's music-obsessed best friend
Jake Dillinger (Range: Db3-Bb4) – High school awesomeness personified
Rich (Range: Bb2-A4 w/ opt. E5) – Five feet five inches of teenage bully
Chloe (Range: B3-Eb5) – The hottest girl in school, crass and confident
Brooke (Range: Bb3-Eb5) – The second hottest girl in school, insecure
Jenna Rolan (Range: G3-G5) – That girl who knows everyone's business
Jeremy's Dad (Range: Ab2-A4) – Never wears pants. Also: Mr. Reyes, Scary Stockboy
The Squip (Range: F#2-Ab4) – The supercomputer in Jeremy's head

ENSEMBLE
In our original production of Be More Chill there was no ensemble—the actors who played the main characters effectively doubled as the student body, Mall Shoppers, and the neighborhood girls during “Smartphone Hour” and that worked out just fine. If you find yourself in the position of having more actors than our script has roles, feel free to add an ensemble as you see fit.

DOUBLING
In our original production, the roles of Jeremy’s Dad, Mr. Reyes, and Scary Stock Boy were played by the same actor. We think that this doubling that works nicely, but feel free to cast three actors in these roles.

CASTING
Be More Chill works best with a cast of diverse misfits who ooze personality and smarts. This isn’t a musical for the popular kids, this is a musical for the Other kids. Be brave when choosing the right people for the roles and don’t get hung up on traditional “types.”

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting Suburban New Jersey. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“A high-energy, imaginative, well-crafted world premiere musical!” –The Star-Ledger

“With its easily relatable characters, clever twists and ebullient songs, it engages you from beginning to end. A go-to choice for high school drama clubs everywhere.” – NJArts

“A vibrant, inventive musical that makes the most of every moment!” – BroadwayWorld

“If you have a teen, know a teen or can rent a teen, take them to see a show all about them. It might even start a larger discussion afterward.” – TheaterCues.com

“Sharp and smart, the musical perfectly balances the tragedy and hilarity of high school!” – Tri City News

“Hip, energetic, vibrant and young!” – The Social Media Chef

Videos

  • BE MORE CHILL on Broadway - Highlights

  • Joe Iconis

  • BE MORE CHILL on LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN

  • Broadway Cast of BE MORE CHILL Performs 'Two Player Game' on GMA

Photos

  • Be More Chill

    Credit: Maria Baranova

  • Be More Chill

    Credit: Maria Baranova

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. “Jeremy’s Theme” – Instrumental
2. “More Than Survive” – Jeremy, Michael & Students
3. “I Love Play Rehearsal” – Christine
4. “More Than Survive (Reprise 1)” – Jeremy
5. “The Squip Song” – Rich & Ensemble
6. “Two-Player Game” – Jeremy & Michael
7. “Be More Chill” – The Squip, Jeremy, Brooke, Chloe & Ensemble
8. “Do You Wanna Ride?” – Brooke & Chloe
9. “Be More Chill (Part 2)” – The Squip, Jeremy & Ensemble
10. “More Than Survive (Reprise 2)” – Jeremy & Ensemble
11. “A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into” – Christine & Ensemble
12. “Upgrade” – Brooke, The Squip, Jake, Christine, Jeremy & Ensemble

Act II

13. “Halloween Party” – Ensemble
14. “Do You Wanna Hang?” – Chloe
15. “Michael in the Bathroom” – Michael
16. “The Smartphone Hour (Rich Set a Fire)” – Jenna, Chloe, Brooke & The Girls
17. “The Pitiful Children” – The Squip & Ensemble
18. “The Pants Song” – Dad & Michael
19. “The Play” – Ensemble
20. “Voices in My Head” – Jeremy & Ensemble

Full Orchestration

Trumpet (Flugabone, Theremin, Soprano Recorder)
Drums
Guitar
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2/Reeds (Bari Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute, Alto Recorder, Vocoder)
Bass Guitar

Concord Theatricals is happy to make available the original MainStage programming and sound effects for BE MORE CHILL designed by orchestrator and arranger Charlie Rosen. MainStage is a music application developed by Apple designed for use in live performances (www.apple.com/mainstage). The Be More Chill programming is available for download through your Licensing Representative upon completed booking, alongside a comprehensive note from Charlie Rosen. We encourage you to share those files with your music director and sound designer.

  • Musical StyleContemporary Broadway
  • Dance RequirementsModerate
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra SizeSmall/Combo
  • Chorus SizeNo Chorus

Materials

Music Rentals

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MUSIC
Charlie Rosen’s brilliant orchestration for Be More Chill features several unconventional instruments - Theremin, Vocoder, etc. While we feel that these instruments are essential to maintaining the integrity of the arrangement, we understand that not every theater happens to have a Theremin lying around. So, we recommend using a synthesizer or computer program to execute some of those strange and unusual sounds. Just keep in mind that the inspiration for the sound of Be More Chill comes from sci-fi/horror soundtracks of the early 1980s (think John Carpenter, Oigno Boingo, and Tangerine Dream) and monster/space invader movies of the 1950s (think Bernard Hermann.) The songs are 100% musical theater, but they shouldn’t sound like they’re in the world of “contemporary music theater.” Let this show sound weird, alive, surprising. Embrace its strangeness.

THE SMARTPHONE HOUR
This number should feel impossibly huge. Please use as much of your cast as humanly possible.

POP CULTURE REFERENCES
Be More Chill’s references call back to the 80’s and 90’s in a way that we hope infuses the spirit of the show. But there are a few spots where we encourage you to update references to fit your own production: the Squip’s alternate default modes, the identity of Christine’s Squip… We’ve marked those spots in the text with an asterisk*. Be creative.
12 Libretto-Vocal
1 Keyboard 1/Conductor
1 Piano-Vocal
1 Trumpet
1 Drums
1 Guitar
1 Keyboard 2/Reeds
1 Bass Guitar
MainStage Programming for Keyboards 1 & 2
12 Libretto-Vocal
1 Piano-Vocal
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Authors

Joe Iconis

Joe Iconis

Joe Iconis is a musical theater writer and a fixture on the New York cabaret scene. He has been nominated for two Drama Desk Awards, a Lucille Lortel Award, and is the recipient of an Ed Kleban Award, a Jonathan Larson Award, an ASCAP Harold Adamson Lyric Award, and a MAC Jo ...

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Joe Tracz

Joe Tracz

Joe Tracz is a writer whose work has been seen on Broadway in Be More Chill (with Joe Iconis) and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (with Rob Rokicki; Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Book). Other credits include the musical Poster Boy (with Craig Carnelia, Wil ...

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Ned Vizzini

Ned Vizzini

Ned Vizzini was the author of It's Kind of a Funny Story ("insightful and utterly authentic" --New York Times Book Review), Be More Chill, and Teen Angst? Naaah.... His work has been honored by the American Library Association, BookSense, and the New York Public Library and h ...

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