What is The Bicycle Men about?
The Bicycle Men is a brie-induced fever dream into the heart of France. This sublimely bawdy, award-winning musical comedy tells the story of Steve, a hapless American cyclist whose bike breaks down in a small French village. There he encounters a bizarre assortment of twisted locals as he waits for his bike to be fixed. The Tour de France is child’s play compared to the tempest of lunacy that unfolds. Part Monty Python, part Second City, The Bicycle Men will take you on a ride you won’t forget.
THE SYNOPSIS:
An American named Steve crashes his bicycle on a tour of through France. While he waits for his bike to be repaired in a small town that is protected by a cycling demigod called “L’homme du Bicyclette.” Steve is thrust into a series of events. He meets up with the locals who test his resolve and call into question if his bicycle will ever be repaired and how a leisurely trip could go so wrong. In his quest for food, lodging, and entertainment each encounter blows up in his face further stranding him in his French purgatory. At his lowest ebb Steve is guided toward salvation by L’homme du Bicyclette. After retrieving his repaired bicycle, Steve flees the town only to be run over by a truck. The deceased Steve is briefly mourned by the locals before being resurrected as a bicycle by L’homme du Bicyclette. In the final tableau Steve now a bicycle laments, “Am I happy or upset? I’m a bicyclette. Such a lesson I’ve learned today. What it is, though, I cannot say.”
WHO ARE THE BICYCLE MEN?
JOE LISS (Co-Writer/Actor) is a Second City Chicago veteran, having written and performed six original revues. His theatre credits include Second City’s A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens, Room Service, Once In A Lifetime, Totally Looped, Hit It, Don, Buddy Jack, Poseidon Adventure: The Musical, Wild Men!, and his critically acclaimed one-man show, Joe Show. His film credits include God Bless America, Wayne’s World 2, Curly Sue, Home Alone 2, and Major League. On TV Joe appeared in According to Jim, Less Than Perfect, That 80’s Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Strangers With Candy. Joe was story editor on Disney’s Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and has also written on Third Rock From the Sun, Drawn Together, My Life is a Sitcom, and SpongeBob Squarepants.
JOHN RUBANO (Co-Writer/Actor) is a Second City alumnus. He has appeared in numerous television and film roles including the ABC sitcom According to Jim, Seinfeld, The Sharktank Redemption, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Mordecai. His voice has been heard in many animated and commercial projects including Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Superman, and Rugrats. John currently sings and tours with Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts and The Blues Brothers Band.
DEREK MANSON (Actor) lives in Los Angeles and has appeared onstage and online with Second City This Week, and in several editions of the For The Record concert series at Rockwell Table & Stage. LA stage credits also include: Quick & Dirty (Second City), The Existents and LA Weekly Award nominee Room Service (Open Fist Theatre Company), Making Paradise and Tangle (Cornerstone Theater), The Bewildered Herd (Greenway Court), the PLAY/ground reading series (Boston Court), and House of Gold (EST LA). TV: Jimmy Kimmel Live!, SNL’s Best of TV Funhouse. V.O.: The WB, Condé Nast Traveler Podcasts, and national spots for Kraft. Derek is a graduate of Northwestern.
BRUCE GREEN (Actor) is a Hollywood character actor and itinerant stage actor. He began his career at Chicago’s ImprovOlympic, taking direction from comedy legend Del Close. He then became a member of The Second City’s National Touring Company, performing in theaters, nightclubs, and college campuses across the country. Bruce starred in The People Vs. Friar Laurence, the Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet, a wildly successful co-production of The Second City and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. In films, Bruce is best known for being shot by Jeff Bridges in the Coen brothers’ True Grit. On television, he’s appeared in Parks and Recreation, Supernatural, MADtv, and Eagleheart.
Ryan McCurry (Piano/Keyboards) has a classical performance degree from Fort Lewis College. He currently is an educator and performer, teaching private piano lessons as well as working at camps in the FourCorners area. Ryan plays in eight bands covering all styles of music including jazz latin, rock, country, funk, and classical. He began studying the piano at age four mastering all types of music before focusing primarily on jazz and latin.
Laura Hall (Piano/Keyboards) is best known as the improvisational pianist on the hit show “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, which is currently airing new episodes on the CW. She got her start in improv at The Second City in Chicago. Laura’s band, The Sweet Potatoes, plays acoustic americana music. Laura has written several original musicals herself, and is delighted to be playing with The Bicycle Men.
DAVE LEWMAN (Co-Writer) has written for Third Rock From the Sun, 3 South, My Life Is A Sitcom, Drawn Together, Pinky Dinky Doo, George of the Jungle, Spaceballs: The Animated Series, Tak & the Power of Juju, Yin Yang Yo, DJ & the Fro, Rekkit Rabbit, and Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.
Mark Nutter (Music & Lyrics, Co-Writer) is the winner of both the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the LA Weekly Theater Award for Re-Animator: The Musical. He wrote the music & lyrics for Wild Men!, a satire of the men’s movement that played in Chicago and Off-Broadway in New York. Mark has also written for television (3rd Rock from the Sun, Saturday Night Live) and movies (Almost Heroes, starring the late Chris Farley). Mark and partner Cynthia Carle co-wrote and directed Christmas Smackdown at Chicago’s iO Theater, and they frequently perform the show themselves in Los Angeles. Mark is a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. www.marknutter.com