Kevin Taft

Ultimately, the musical feels like it needed another round of development to become truly compelling. But when the source material itself is so middle-of-the-road (albeit enormously popular), there’s only so much that can be added. The scenic and lighting design are pleasant, the songs are momentarily catchy, and the show moves at a brisk pace that keeps you modestly engaged.

Ultimately, Stereophonic feels like a concept with enormous potential that never fully coalesces into a dramatically satisfying whole. What’s the message? What’s the theme? Beyond watching a band grapple with sudden fame and their oversized personalities, the show doesn’t seem to have much to say. For a play about music, identity, ego, and creation, it all sounds a bit… mono.

The cast is uniformly good, with the standouts being Blood, whose somewhat loony character has some of the show’s most emotional moments, Woods, the secret love of Nick’s life, and Manuel, the boxer with a heart of gold.