Amber Ruffin and Grey Henson Talk New Musical 'Bigfoot!'
Amber Ruffin has added another stage project to her growing resume: Bigfoot!, a new musical comedy that begins previews Feb. 11 (ET) and opens March 1 (ET) for a limited off-Broadway engagement at New York City Center Stage I. Ruffin, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book, joins a creative team and cast that promise a madcap, larger-than-life sendup of small-town paranoia and political corruption.
Production timeline and creative team
The production launches an eight-week run with choreography and direction by Danny Mefford. Ruffin collaborated on the book with Kevin Sciretta while David A. Schmoll composed the score. The creative lineup also includes a music supervisor, music director, and designers across scenic, lighting, costume, sound, hair, wig and makeup, underscoring a fully realized theatrical world for the story.
Bigfoot! held a concert presentation in 2024 and took part in developmental workshops the same year, giving the team time to refine the tone and staging before the upcoming off-Broadway engagement.
Cast, characters and the world of Muddirt
The cast is led by Crystal Lucas-Perry as Francine and Grey Henson as the eponymous Bigfoot. Katerina McCrimmon plays Joanne, Alex Moffat appears as the mayor, and Jason Tam is the doctor. Jade Jones is featured in the ensemble role credited as 'As Cast, ' with covers in place to step in as needed. The musical is set in Muddirt, a glow-in-the-dark oasis described as existing somewhere between a chemical dump site and a nuclear power plant, and centers on an eight-foot-tall misunderstood youth who becomes the focal point of the town's fear and political maneuvering.
The narrative is billed as a broad musical tale about corrupt politicians, small-town paranoia and the mismatch between public perception and private truth. Expect comedy and spectacle alongside pointed satire, given the creative team's background in both sketch and theatrical comedy.
Ruffin's theatrical arc and Henson's turn as Bigfoot
Ruffin comes to the project with a growing list of stage and television credits, including a recent Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical and contributions to major revivals. Her work often blends sharp social observation with heartfelt humor, a sensibility that appears central to Bigfoot!'s tone.
Grey Henson, whose profile includes prominent musical-comedy roles, takes on the physical and emotional challenge of playing an eight-foot-tall character in a story that mixes outsized spectacle with human stakes. The casting signals a blend of strong vocal chops and comic timing, essential for a role that must anchor both the show's heart and its jokes.
With previews beginning Feb. 11 (ET) and an official opening on March 1 (ET), Bigfoot! will be watched closely as Ruffin expands further into musical theater, combining her comedic voice with a full-scale production that aims to entertain while skewering the small-town dramas that make for big musical moments.
