What’s It All About?

Mario and Luigi are long-retired from adventuring in other dimensions.  They’ve settled in Brooklyn, where they run a plumbing shop with their friend, Toad.  Peach, former Princess of Mushroom World, struggles with the realities of a demanding career and a rocky marriage.

When a wave of kidnappings hits the neighborhood, everyone wants Mario to come to the rescue, but he’s reluctant to deviate from his comfortable, albeit monotonous, life.  Luigi, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to return to his past glory.

Rumors spread that Bowser, Mario’s longtime nemesis, is responsible for the abductions, but how can that be? Mario put an end to him ten years ago.

Will Mario help his community?  What defines a hero?  What other things happen?  Will any other things happen?  Is this show good or is it bad?   Jump Man will likely answer all of these questions, plus many more!

Time Out new york says:

"Jump Man never takes itself too seriously, and beyond the comedy, it has a surprisingly strong emotional core and wide range of musical styles that leave you smiling and singing afterward. The show is an enjoyable adventure for gamers and noobs alike."

A note from the Author:

Like so many people, I grew up playing the Mario Brothers games. Even though I stopped playing video games at some point in the mid-90's, the Nintendo/Super Nintendo games and characters hold an important place in my consciousness.  Over the years, I have come to realize my generation's relationship to these characters is unique.

Early on, the characters didn't have real personalities, voices, or stories.  We knew they were plumbers; we knew they traveled to other worlds through pipes; some of us knew that Mario and Luigi's last name was Mario.  But we didn't know much else.  In this sense, the characters were blank slates upon which we could impress our own ideas of who they were -- of what heroes should be.  On top of that, we literally controlled what they did. The kid holding the controller had incredible influence over who the character was.  We loved the Ghostbusters too, but they were who they were, and there was nothing we could do about it.

Over time, of course, the Mario Brothers characters gained depth and developed back-stories--versions of them were portrayed on television and film (RIP Bob Hoskins).  But when I recall these characters, I don't think of those inventions - I think of my friends and myself - being Mario.

This is why this cast of characters is uniquely qualified to be parodied in this musical; they are iconic reflections of ourselves -- archetypal representations of a generation.

- Sam