BROKE to Make Workshop Debut at Theatre Row with Broadway Alum Creative Team

Animal Stone Productions will present a limited workshop presentation of BROKE, a new musical by Maggie Dubris and Andy Teirstein, at Theatre 4 on Theatre Row this September.

Inspired by Dubris's critically acclaimed book BrokeDown Palace, BROKE features a libretto and lyrics by Dubris, music by Teirstein, and direction and choreography by Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Seán Curran. The workshop presentation will run September 18-20 at Theatre Row in New York City.

Described as a sweeping musical that spans more than a century of New York City history, BROKE centers on St. Clare's Hospital, the Hell's Kitchen institution that served generations of New Yorkers who often had nowhere else to turn. The musical follows two women whose lives become intertwined through the hospital's legacy.

Katie Henry arrives in New York from Ireland in 1896 and ultimately helps establish St. Clare's during the Great Depression. Decades later, paramedic Nikki Owen spends 25 years driving a St. Clare's ambulance through some of the city's most turbulent moments, including the AIDS crisis, the crack epidemic, the homelessness crisis, and the aftermath of September 11.

Through their stories, BROKE chronicles the hospital's rise and eventual closure, exploring themes of resilience, memory, and community. The musical traces how the institution's impact continued to resonate long after its disappearance from the New York landscape.

The score draws inspiration from a wide range of musical traditions. Composer Andy Teirstein incorporates Irish fiddle influences, rhythmic elements inspired by his studies in Ghana and Cuba, and contemporary musical textures that reflect the energy of Manhattan. Teirstein, whose work has been praised by The New York Times and Village Voice, has received honors from the National Endowment for the Arts, ASCAP, NYFA, and the American Lyric Theater.

Director and choreographer Seán Curran brings more than three decades of experience to the project. His credits include Broadway's James Joyce's The Dead, productions at the Metropolitan Opera, and work for Shakespeare in the Park. A Bessie Award winner, Curran was also a member of the original New York cast of the international hit STOMP!.

Dubris, who serves as the musical's librettist and lyricist, spent 25 years working as a New York City paramedic. Her memoir-in-verse BrokeDown Palace was praised by writer Lucy Sante as "a stunning poetic monument to a New York that no longer exists."

Performance Information

A workshop presentation of BROKE will be presented at Theatre 4 on Theatre Row, located at 410 West 42nd Street in New York City.

Preview performance: September 18, 2026

Performances: September 19-20, 2026

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