ABOUT THE SHOW

MataHari

A New Rock Musical

Book by Jay Berkow
Music by Dave Ogrin
Lyrics by Jay Berkow and Dave Ogrin

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Inspired by true events from the life of the notorious WWI spy, a complex tangle of sex, intrigue, and politics, the musical chronicles the original "femme fatale". Mata Hari is a demonstration of resilience – battling against all odds to be true to herself and free Europe from tyranny. Born in 1876 Holland, Margaretha Zella travels to Indonesia and is almost destroyed by a brutal marriage. Refusing to accept the role of an abused wife, she escapes to Paris and reinvents herself as Mata Hari, Indonesian for “Eye of The Dawn”.

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The musical begins with Mata Hari’s arrest in 1917 on charges of treason and counter-espionage. During her interrogation, the complex details of her past are brought to light; her marriage, the murder of her children, and her self-reinvention as both the seductive dancer and the infamous spy. Caught between powerful forces, sex, and love, she must rely only on herself to control her destiny. As Mata becomes trapped in a web of political turmoil and passion, her own agenda for World War I is revealed.

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Though the scheduled developmental reading at the York Theatre NYC (May 2020) has been postponed, we hope that, like Mata Hari herself, our industry and our musical will return triumphantly to the stage.

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Meanwhile, we are delighted to share one Mata Hari song, RESILIENT. This music video features the voices of over 60 Broadway stars and actual frontline healthcare workers singing together and was created to show our support for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS – COVID 19 Emergency Relief, The Emergency Nurses Association and the American College of Emergency Physicians.