Pizza the Musical is a short film I created and directed for The Museum of Pizza - a monthlong popup exhibition in Brooklyn, NY. I wrote the piece in collaboration with maestro Sarah Fiete who also composed the music. Instrumentals by TJ Dumser.

In this divided world, I wanted to bring people together around the greatest thing ever. Pizza: The Great Unifier. From kings to peasants, everybody loves a good slice. Despite it's universal appeal, pizza preferences vary greatly from person to person. And goodness can pizza opinions get passionate! What style is best? — New York? Detroit? Chicago deep dish?

What’s the proper way to eat a slice? Fork and knife or folded in half? — Or perhaps the most divisive issue of all: Does Pineapple have ANY place on a pizza?

Pizza the Musical sets about to answer these questions. And shows the world how "we're all just one pizza in a pan."

STARRING

Alexis Ijeoma Nwokoji - New York City Pizza
Alexandra Doman - Detroit Style Pizza
Patrick Tombs - Margherita Slice
Isaac Ryckeghem - Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Olivia Greco - Pizza Statue of Liberty

CREW

Cory Fraiman-Lott - Director of Photography
Harold Erkins - Assistant Camera
Jason Leinwand - Production Design / Costumes
Oliver Ignatius - Sound Recordist
Alana Salvano - Makeup Artist

The exhibition has received some good press from Arnet, Gothamist, and Vice (see below or click through). We attended the opening in costumes from the film. Naturally, people took a bunch of pictures and we even made the front page of Gothamist along with a few other culture vulture rags - which was cool.

The Museum of Pizza was a creation of Nameless Network and they really kept it classy -- assembling a bunch of cool art, installations, murals, and short films.

These sort of pop-up exhibits get a bad wrap. Mostly from cynical art world folks who hate fun. In fairness some people have a problem with branded content. Which I get to a degree, but even hallowed ground like MoMA is plastered with Chase Bank logos. And in general, big cultural institutions are all bank rolled by corporate cash from the likes of the Koch Brothers, opioid profiteers, and tobacco companies.

So excuse me while I sing pizza's praises and enjoy this DiGiorno's pie fresh from my oven.