Tony and Grammy-winning composer David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Tootsie) returns to the Jacob Burns Film Center for a very special night celebrating his work including his recent Broadway musical Dead Outlaw.
Decades ago, Yazbek heard the bizarre but true story of Elmer McCurdy, a comically inept outlaw who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s posse—and whose mummified corpse travelled the country as a sideshow attraction for more than sixty years. Yazbek shared it with his friend and collaborator Erik Della Penna, and they got to work writing Dead Outlaw, a musical inspired by Elmer’s life. Dead Outlaw opened to rave reviews off-Broadway at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theater in 2024 (winning a slew of awards), and opened on Broadway in 2025. Now, Dead Outlaw is available as an audio play on Audible.
Alongside filmmakers Milky Wolf and Jen Small, Yazbek has been working on a documentary capturing every stage of the development of this extraordinary musical, from early Zoom writing sessions to the Broadway premiere and its (premature) closing.
Join us for a sneak peek at scenes from the Dead Outlaw documentary, a special musical performance by Yazbek and Della Penna, and a conversation with the composers and filmmakers.
