Stereophonic (play) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stereophonic
Broadway promotional poster
Written by	David Adjmi
Date of premiere	October 29, 2023
Place of premiere	Playwrights Horizons
Original language	English
Genre	Drama
Setting	Sausalito, California, 1976

Stereophonic is a dramatic stage play with music, written by American playwright David Adjmi. Music written for the play was composed by Will Butler from the indie rock band Arcade Fire. It won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Play. The play follows a fictional rock band on the cusp of superstardom as they struggle through recording their new album set from 1976 to 1977. The production debuted at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway in 2023 before transferring to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre in 2024.

The production received critical acclaim, with critics comparing the material to the real life band Fleetwood Mac and its 1977 album Rumours. The production made history as the play holding the record for the most Tony Award nominations with 13 nods, overtaking the Jeremy O. Harris play Slave Play (2020). It received wins for Best Play and Direction of a Play as well as nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Juliana Canfield and Sarah Pidgeon and Best Featured Actor in a Play for Will Brill, Eli Gelb, and Tom Pecinka (with Brill winning). Stereophonic also received the Drama League Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play of the 2023/2024 season.

Background

Adjmi and Butler began working on the piece in 2014, with the project being workshopped in 2018 at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab. Adjmi wanted to create a piece of theatre that felt like the audience was watching a documentary unfolding on stage, while avoiding the piece becoming a full-blown musical. The set design includes real music recording equipment.

Production history

Off-Broadway (2023)

The play premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on October 6, 2023, with an official opening of October 26, directed by Daniel Aukin. It was named Best Play of the Year by the Washington Post, and "hands-down the best American play since the pandemic" by former New York Times critic Ben Brantley. Stereophonic was named Best of 2023 by numerous publications, including the New Yorker, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Wrap, and Time Out New York. After multiple extensions, the play closed on December 17, 2023.

Broadway (2024)

In January 2024, it was announced the play would transfer to Broadway in early 2024 for a limited engagement. The show began previews on April 2, 2024, and officially opened on Broadway on April 19 at the John Golden Theatre. The production was scheduled to run until July 7, 2024 before being extended to August 18, 2024 and subsequently to January 5, 2025. The production received acclaim from critics, earning 5 wins and 13 nominations at the 77th Tony Awards. The show won Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (Will Brill), Best Direction of a Play (Daniel Aukin), Best Scenic Design of a Play (David Zinn), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Ryan Rumery). It tied with the jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen as the two most nominated shows at the ceremony. Stereophonic now holds the record for the most Tony nominations by a play, surpassing the record previously held by Slave Play.

Original cast and characters

Musical numbers

Although the play is not a musical, several 1970s inspired original songs are played live in the set's "studio" as the play depicts the recording of the album. In the Off-Broadway and Broadway version, the actors themselves supply all the vocals and play all the music, though many in the cast had to learn to play their instrument for this production. Will Brill had never even held a bass before being cast as the band's bassist.

An original cast recording of the music from Stereophonic was released digitally on May 10, 2024, and became available on CD on June 14, 2024.

Track listing

• "Seven Roads"
• "Bright v1"
• "Masquerade"
• "Bright (Fast)"
• "Drive"
• "Champagne"
• "East of Eden"
• "Domino"
• "'It's made of teak'"
• "In Your Arms"
• "BVs"
• "Exorcist II"
• "Campfire Masquerade"
• "Bright (Take 22)"

Awards and nominations

2023 Off-Broadway production

2024 Broadway production