Video: Ari Afsar Sings 'Caroline' From I & YOU at McCarter Theatre
Performances will run from September 13 – October 12.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jun. 25, 2025
You can now get a first look at the new musical theatre project, I & You: The Musical, which will have its world premiere at McCarter Theatre this fall from September 13 – October 12. In this clip, composer and lyricist Ari Afsar sings “Caroline” from the show.
Created by author Lauren Gunderson, Ari Afsar (music and lyrics), and director Sarah Rasmussen, I & You: The Musical is based on the play of the same name; it is currently one of the most produced theatre pieces in the U.S. The musical reunites Gunderson with director Sarah Rasmussen, who helmed the play’s world premiere in 2013. Rasmussen now returns to the story in her role as McCarter Artistic Director. The bold new score and lyrics are by Hamilton vet Ari Afsar, a former Miss California and social activist. They are joined by movement director Steph Paul, music director Sujin Kim-Ramsey, and dramaturg Julie Felise Dubiner. Casting and the full Production Team will be announced in the coming weeks.
I and You (the play) has had over 20 productions around the country and is the recipient of the American Theater Critics Association Steinberg-A.T.C.A. New Play Award. Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015 and topped the list three times. Her plays have been translated into more than a dozen languages and performed worldwide.
Commissioned by McCarter with support from the BOLD Theater Women’s Leadership Circle, I & You is a co-production with Olney Theatre Center. “This production represents the best of what McCarter stands for — fearless new work, storytelling that resonates deeply, and a celebration of women’s creative leadership propelling the future of American theater,” said Rasmussen. “Opening our season with a world premiere led by this extraordinary group of women is both a privilege and a powerful artistic statement. I’m incredibly proud of this team and the new light we’re bringing to Lauren Gunderson’s poignant story.”
Seventeen-year-olds Caroline — stuck at home with an illness — and Anthony — an earnest overachiever toting Walt Whitman and waffle fries — are classmates pulling an unexpected all-nighter. What starts as a reluctant school assignment soon sets both their worlds spinning into a soul-searching exploration of fate, friendship, and the fragile wonder of being alive.
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