barbara/tony
a tragirock popera
by adam j. rineer
based on a true story
Take a chilling dive into the real-life tale of 1960s New York socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland who was murdered at the hands of own son, Tony Baekeland. In this two-person, art-rock, popera, reciprocal ghost story, Barbara is haunted by Tony and his violent future, while Tony is simultaneously haunted by Barbara and her manipulative past.
Told in non-linear vignettes, the piece traces Barbara’s rise through New York high society and her growing abuse toward her son who doesn’t fit her world. In the aftermath of her murder, Tony struggles to escape his domineering mother and the legacy of his crime. Their tribulations reveal a much more insidious spirit at play, the society that bred these two.
History:
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2025 - table reading
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2026 - Johnny Mercer Writers' Grove, Goodspeed Musicals