STEREOPHONIC Comes To The Kauffman Center in April
Featuring direction by Daniel Aukin and original music by Will Butler, STEREOPHONIC explores the highs and lows of a 1976 rock band
PNC Broadway in Kansas City will present the North American Touring production of Stereophonic. The seventh show in the 25–26 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season, Stereophonic will take the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts stage for eight performances April 7-12, 2026.
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. Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin, and featuring original music by Arcade Fire's Will Butler, Stereophonic 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 cast will include Jack Barrett as Grover, Claire DeJean as Diana, Steven Lee Johnson as Charlie, Emilie Kouatchou as Holly, Cornelius McMoyler as Simon, Denver Milord as Peter and Christopher Mowod as Reg. The cast will also include Eli Bridges, Andrew Gombas, Quinn Allyn Martin, Jake Regensburg and Lauren Wilmore. Casting is subject to change.
Stereophonic, which features original songs by Academy Award nominee and Grammy Award winner Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, dominated the “Best Theater of 2023” lists, with top rankings in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Time Out New York, Town & Country, TheaterMania, Theaterly, and The Spectator. In April 2024, Stereophonic became the most Tony-nominated play in history receiving 13 Award nominations. It then became the most Tony Award-winning show of the 2024 season, winning 5 Tony Awards including Best Play, Direction (Daniel Aukin), Scenic Design (David Zinn) and Sound Design (Ryan Rumery).
Originally scheduled for a 14-week-only Broadway engagement, the production was extended twice by popular demand and played to sold out houses through its run.
The sensation-causing play began a West End engagement in May 2025 at London's Duke of York's Theatre. The U.S. National Tour launched at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA as part of STG's Broadway at the Paramount 2025-2026 Season. The record-breaking Broadway production ended its run at the Golden Theatre on January 12, 2025, after 305 performances.
The Stereophonic creative team includes David Zinn (scenic designer), Enver Chakartash (Costume Designer), Jiyoun Chang (lighting designer), Ryan Rumery (sound designer), Robert Pickens & Katie Gell (hair and wig designers), Justin Craig (music director) and Gigi Buffington (voice, text, and dialect coach). Casting is by Alldaffer & Donadio Casting. Geoff Maus is the Production Stage Manager.
The U.S. National Tour of Stereophonic is produced by Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, Ashley Melone & Nick Mills. The New York premiere was produced in 2023 by Playwrights Horizons.
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