Hank Morris, a political consultant pleaded guilty in 2010 for a pension fraud pay-to-play scandal. Now, Morris is getting the ultimate revenge on the man who prosecuted him, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Morris is bringing the musical play about Cuomo titled “A Turtle on a Fence Post” to off-broadway.
Morris was granted parole in 2013 after serving 13 days at Rikers, followed by two weeks and two days in a state correctional facility. “The play is based on true events, but it’s a fictionalized version of my journey and what happened to me and how it changed me” Morris told Variety.
“The principal antagonist in the play is a bullying governor named Andrew Cuomo” said Morris, who came up with the idea to air his grievances against Cuomo while serving his jail sentence.
“Turtle on a Fence Post” is a reference to the Bill Clinton quote, “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know it didn’t get there by itself.” Morris originally planned to perform his play as a one-man show, but it has grown into a seven-person stage musical.
Fox News reports:
The story takes place in a comedy club as well as a correctional institution. It tells the tale of the rise and decline of one of Manhattan’s most powerful and ruthless men. (Sound familiar?)
Morris believes the show will take on a different tone in the present day as the soon-to-be-ex New York governor announced his resignation on Aug. 10 after evidence was found that he sexually harassed women.
“Political insiders knew the story, but the general public is going to be more open to hearing my story and hearing what he’s capable of,” Morris told Hollywood trade paper Variety.
“The show has a universal message,” he continued. “To me the message is life’s pretty good no matter how many twists and turns you experience, and you should make the best of it. You’re lucky to be here. The second message is that we all make our own prisons, and we’re the only ones who can set ourselves free.”
For those interested in attending the off-Broadway limited 10-week run, previews begin October 26 and Opens November 14 at the 555 Theater at 555 W. 42nd St.
