David Adjmi’s Acclaimed ‘Stereophonic’ Sets Spring Broadway Opening, Laying Rumors To Rest

Stereophonic, the critically lauded play by David Adjmi that struck a chord with Off Broadway audiences last year with its very Fleetwood Mac-esque tale of music-making and ’70s-style excess, will move to Broadway this spring.

The Broadway staging, with the Off Broadway cast intact, will begin performances at Broadway’s Golden Theatre on Wednesday, April 3, with an official opening night on Friday, April 19. The limited run will play for 14 weeks only.

The play-with-music had its premiere engagement at Off Broadway’s Playwrights Horizons. Directed by Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic, which features original songs by Academy Award® nominee and Grammy Award winner Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, Stereophonic stars Will Brill as Reg, Andrew R. Butler as Charlie, Juliana Canfield as Holly, Eli Gelb as Grover, Tom Pecinka as Peter, Sarah Pidgeon as Diana, and Chris Stack as Simon.

Producing are Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills.

Official synopsis: Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a music studio in 1976. Here, an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The ensuing pressures could spark their breakup — or their breakthrough. In Stereophonic, Adjmi invites the audience to immerse themselves—with fly-on-the-wall intimacy—in the powder keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up.

The making-of-an-album premise drew more than a few comparisons to the storied recording of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 now-classic Rumours, though Adjmi has said his inspiration came from many bands of the era and that he first thought of the premise after listening to Led Zeppelin on an airplane flight.

The Stereophonic creative team includes David Zinn (scenic designer), Enver Chakartash (costume designer), Jiyoun Chang (lighting designer), Ryan Rumery (sound designer), and Justin Craig (music director). Casting is by Alaine Alldaffer and Taylor Williams.