Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of WALKING WITH BUBBLES

A new musical based on Broadway actress Jessica Hendy's true-life story opened off-Broadway Monday night. In Walking With Bubbles, Hendy invites audiences into her perfect New York City life where she expertly juggles being a loving mom to her young son, 'Bubbles,' while lighting up the Broadway stages in Cats, Amour, and Aida. However, beneath the surface lies a dark secret from her past that reveals itself when she and her son, while out on a playdate in Central Park, encounter a homeless man.

See photos from opening night below!

The opening night celebration featured many theater stars who have shared the stage with Hendy over the years like Andy Karl (Cats national tour) and Jen Cody (Mamma Mia), as well as local officials like Senator Brad Hoylman-Segal. Other notable attendees were Tony nominee Orfeh, legendary composer Richard Maltby, Emmy winner Kristen Alderson, Karen Mason, Lisa Howard, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Kristy Cates, and many more.

Hendy's one-woman show is at times earth shattering, at times humorous, yet ultimately cathartic in its examination of how far a mother will go for her son, her family, and ultimately herself. "It's scary to reveal my most shameful secret on stage each night," says Hendy. "But it's been an important part of my healing process." Directed by Richard Hess and Presented by Tom D'Angora and Michael D'Angora, Walking With Bubbles began previews on Friday, March 31st and opened April 10th at the newly renovated AMT Theater.

Crafted from the pages of Jessica Hendy's memoir, Walking With Bubbles, had its theatrical debut in March of 2021 in Brooklyn, NY, at the Irondale Theatre's "On Woman" festival. Beginning as a one-act play with music, it was the festival's grand finale production and received critical acclaim. Wanting to elevate the storytelling, Jessica partnered with Brianna Kothari Barnes to create an original score for her script. In April of 2022, the pair presented the musical version at an industry reading.

A major plot point in the show involves Ms. Hendy's real-life son, Bubbles (Beckett), now sixteen years old and a junior in high school. When Ms. Hendy began writing the show, she asked his permission to share their story. "Beckett has seen every incarnation of the show," she explains. "After every reading and workshop, I would check in with him to make sure he was still on board with the project and every time, he has said the same thing - 'mom, do it.'"

The show has enabled Beckett to fill in some missing gaps in his life, where things happened and he was too young to understand or remember. "His scars from the trauma remain but living in our shared truth has been healing for him as well," Ms. Hendy reflects.

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