Sophia Anne Caruso and Justin Jesso To Lead Discovering Broadway Concert
The two will lead an untitled Zack Zadek musical.
Discovering Broadway, a pre-Broadway incubator, has announcesdthe stars and concert date for the untitled Zack Zadek musical, which is part of their inaugural musical commissioning initiative, newly named First Listen.
Sophia Anne Caruso (Beetlejuice on Broadway, Netflix’s One Piece) and Grammy Award Nominated singer/songwriter Justin Jesso (Stargazing) will lead the concert event, presented in collaboration with The Cabaret in Indianapolis, on Friday, June 26, 2026.
The Discovering Broadway First Listen of the Broadway-bound musical commission is directed by award-winning film and theater director Joel Kirk (NETFLIX IS A JOKE FEST, Blatantly Blaine), written by acclaimed composer, lyricist, and writer Zack Zadek, and made possible through the support of Marianne Glick and Mike Woods. The evening will also feature an artist panel discussion with the cast and creative team exploring the development of the musical and the creative process behind building original work.
“This commission represents the future of Discovering Broadway,” says Kirk. “For years, we have supported the development of musicals through retreats, concerts, and workshops. First Listen is the next evolution of that mission by creating wholly original work from the ground up while investing directly in artists and giving Indianapolis audiences a front-row seat to the creative process.”
“Discovering Broadway feels deeply aligned with something I love so much about theater: the exchange of imagination, discipline, and vulnerability between artists across generations. I’m incredibly excited to perform, connect with these students, and explore the strange magic of building a life in the theater,” says Caruso.
The newly formed, annual commission will support composers, lyricists, and book writers in the creation and early development of an original musical – providing resources, artistic space, and institutional backing to advance the work toward its next stage of life. Submissions are now open for the 2027 First Listen Commission, the nonprofit’s second annual commissioning initiative.
Zadek is currently developing stage and screen musicals for studios including Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Ars Nova, Arena Stage and Manhattan Theatre Club. His upcoming musical Deathless recently released its studio cast album from Ghostlight Records. The Indianapolis commission marks the inaugural production in Discovering Broadway’s new long-term commission program designed to support wholly original musicals from inception through development.
Zadek’s connection to Discovering Broadway includes teaching their Master Classes, which are designed to educate Central Indiana aspiring artists and include many scholarship opportunities for underrepresented groups. Additionally, Zadek’s musical The Turning was the fourth musical selected for Discovering Broadway’s incubator program back in 2022. The musical will make its world premiere at LA’s Mark Taper Forum this fall.
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