‘Burning Man: The Musical’ Previews Their Rocking, Shirtcocking Show

Burning Man is cancelled this year, but there’s still some end-of-August awesomeness lined up to satisfy your dusty jones. A satirical musical entitled Burning Man: The Musical will premiere August 27 on streaming platforms to replace mutant vehicles with musicals, and we’ve got the trailer and some words from its creator below.

According to a description on the film’s website, the musical will “Follow Molly, a promising young tech grad, as she returns to the playa of Black Rock City – this time employed by the very tech company that, unbeknownst to her, seeks to destroy it. After being given the task of acquiring drugs for her boss’s exclusive party, Molly finds herself on a journey inward – and through the community of Burning Man – finds her truest self.”

Burning Man: The Musical is a project that’s been in development for years, and you may have seen the live readings at Z Space in 2019. “This project originated from stories my oldest sister would tell me from attending Burning Man since the 1990s,” the film’s writer Matt Werner tells us in a statement. And there are plenty of musical snippets and behind-the-scenes clips on their Youtube page.

“But since the readings at Z Space in 2019 to a largely Burner audience, we’ve added depth to the piece including subplots dealing with gentrification in Oakland, and issues of race, privilege, and status at festivals like Burning Man,” Werner says.

And to answer your question, yes, they did get permission to use the name “Burning Man.” A statement on the film’s website says, “‘Burning Man’ is a registered trademark of Burning Man Project and used with permission. Burning Man: The Musical is not affiliated with Burning Man Project.”

Burning Man: The Musical premieres Friday, Aug. 27 on BroadwayOnDemand.com, and will be $7.99 for a 48-hour rental and $19.99 for purchase.