A HOME FOR ARTISTS: The CHILL History of Joe Iconis & Two River Theater

Lyricist, composer, writer, raconteur, showman, internet sensation, and the “future of musical theater” (The New York Times) Joe Iconis first hit the Two River stage as part of our very first Cabaret of New Songs for the Musical Theater, featuring work written by graduates from NYU’s Musical Theatre Writing program. Joe’s lively—and surprising—ode to “Helen,” performed by Jason SweetTooth Williams, instantly charmed the audience. Artistic Director John Dias approached Joe the very next day with a commission for a full musical, to premiere at Two River.

To adapt the young-adult novel Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini, Two River teamed Joe with Joe Tracz (who wrote the musical’s sharp and hilarious book). Developed through workshops and readings, Be More Chill had its world premiere at Two River in June 2015, and built a passionate local fanbase over the course of its four-week run. With the support of production superfans Joan and Robert Rechnitz, Two River produced the musical’s Original Cast Recording with Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records in 2015, and the show was licensed through Rodgers and Hammerstein so it could be staged in other regional and community theaters, high schools, and colleges.

Two years after the release of the original cast album and abetted by Two River’s marketing efforts, Be More Chill caught fire online through the power of music streaming services. New fans from all over the world (the vast majority of whom had not seen the original Two River Theater production) took to social media and the web to express their love for the show through fanart, fanfiction, dressing up as their favorite characters, and more. Popular fandom hub Tumblr.com ranked Be More Chill as second overall for the Top Musicals of 2017, over musicals like Tony Award winner Dear Evan Hansen and Wicked. The only musical to top Be More Chill that year, according to Tumblr fans, was super-smash-hit Hamilton.

Artwork by @jartsstuff

In spring 2018 Be More Chill announced an Off-Broadway run at the Pershing Square Signature Center. As The New York Times wrote, “Before Be More Chill even starts previews…it will already be one of the most popular new musicals in America, with a passionate fan base that dwarfs the number of people who have ever seen the show.” The limited engagement, which featured the same creative team and much of the same cast from Two River’s production, completely sold out. Be More Chill opened on Broadway that summer, reaching a total audience of more than 150,000 people through its 207 performances. Joe Iconis was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Original Score.

The night after Be More Chill closed on Broadway, Joe Iconis hit the road and returned to Red Bank, to prepare for a week of workshopping the script and music of his next Two River Theater world premiere, a love story between inmates of a reformatory for teenaged girls in the 1960s. Love in Hate Nation celebrated a raucous and rambunctious run in the fall of 2019, with clear evidence of Iconis’ worldwide impact: audience members for Love in Hate Nation traveled from 25 states and Australia, Canada, Mexico City, Tokyo and Wales to see the show.

As the 2010’s drew to a close, Two River’s original cast recording of Be More Chill was the #4 most streamed cast album of the decade—coming in behind only Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and Wicked.

The Joes—Iconis and Tracz—came up with the proposal for their next Two River commission during a week-long writers’ retreat back at Red Bank in 2020. We are very excited about their idea, and look forward to sharing it with our fans and friends as soon as we can!

The global impact of Be More Chill continues to grow! The 2020 London run drew heaps of praise before the Covid-19 theater closures, but made a triumphant return for a 10-week 2021 run at the Shatfesbury Theatre, from June 30 to September 5. It was a “feel-good, exciting, glorious” return to theater for musical-lovers after the difficulties of lockdown!

In August 2021, the original cast of Love in Hate Nation reunited for a recording session with Ghostlight Studios, to create the Original Cast Album! Making hearts go nah-nah-nah and sha-la-la, the album was released digitally on February 11, 2022. Stream the album now!

Talk it, text it, pass it, stream it! You read that right. As of July 2022, Be More Chill amassed 500+ million streams worldwide on the Original and Broadway Cast Recordings.

Be More Chill‘s world domination continues! Be More Chill Japan, starring J-Pop star Kota Yabu of Hey! Say! JUMP, began performances at Tokyo’s New National Theatre Playhouse on July 25, 2022. Following the highly anticipated run in Tokyo, the production will continue on to Fukuoka and Osaka. Photo by HIKIJI Nobuhiko.