Harry Chapin: I Wanna Learn A Love Song at The Gateway Playhouse

Experience the music. Discover the man. Witness the love story behind the songs.

Harry Chapin sang about cabdrivers, DJs, fathers, and dreamers, but behind every story was his own. This brandnew musical invites you into the world of a Long Island troubadour who became a global voice for compassion, tracing his rise from coffeehouses to concert halls, from charttopping hits to groundbreaking activism.

About the show
Set to the unforgettable songs that defined a generation, Harry Chapin: I Wanna Learn a Love Song is not a tribute concert, but a deeply human story about a man and the woman who kept him tethered to the ground. As Harry’s career and hungerrelief work intensify, the musical dives into the beautiful, complicated, and powerful bond between Harry and Sandy, revealing how their marriage shaped the music and the mission. We see Harry’s drive to change the world collide with latenight phone calls, missed dinners, and quiet moments of forgiveness, asking what it really costs to live a life of purpose, and what it means to love someone who is always reaching beyond themselves.

Creative team
Directed by David Ruttura, with music by Vadim Feichtner, casting by Michael Cassara, and a book by Tony Awardwinning producer Michael Mitri, this new musical digs beneath the legend to reveal the husband, father, and relentless idealist within. Together, they shape a theatrical experience where storytelling, music, and emotion intertwine in true Harry Chapin fashion.