Stereophonic Touring Reviews

Yes, it’s a long play, and long, naturalistic plays aren’t for everyone, nor are scenes and conversations that stretch out in real time. (And could this radio edit have trimmed an additional 15 or 20 minutes without losing the narrative? Sure.) B...

Yes, it’s a long play, and long, naturalistic plays aren’t for everyone, nor are scenes and conversations that stretch out in real time. (And could this radio edit have trimmed an additional 15 or 20 minutes without losing the narrative? Sure.) But if you can tap into your presmartphone attention span, you’ll be rewarded with a funny, tense, deeply human drama — if you’re into that sort of thing.

Stereophonic is about creation and we see snippets of songs being written, reworked, and argued over. With a score by Grammy-winning musician Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, both musicologists, producers and engineers will have a field day with...

Stereophonic is about creation and we see snippets of songs being written, reworked, and argued over. With a score by Grammy-winning musician Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire, both musicologists, producers and engineers will have a field day with the attention to details. The tempo is slow and measured, and with its running time of close to three hours, audiences are tested for their patience.

At times, playwright David Adjmi’s plot and dialogue feel truly authentic. The musicians’ conversations and gossip, the starts and stopping, the waiting around, the numerous takes of the same song — everything so characteristic of a recording s...

At times, playwright David Adjmi’s plot and dialogue feel truly authentic. The musicians’ conversations and gossip, the starts and stopping, the waiting around, the numerous takes of the same song — everything so characteristic of a recording session — feel real.

Throughout the show, its highs and lows alike, Daniel Aukin’s sublime direction balances everything out. A show like this, which brings the claustrophobia of producing an album in a confined space to the fore, lives and dies by its blocking. Aukin ...

Throughout the show, its highs and lows alike, Daniel Aukin’s sublime direction balances everything out. A show like this, which brings the claustrophobia of producing an album in a confined space to the fore, lives and dies by its blocking. Aukin bluntly but masterfully arranges his performers like chess pieces and crafts a striking composition with them in every scene.

Here in the Bay Area, there’s something special about seeing Stereophonic — a co-production between ACT and BroadwaySF — finally performed in its spiritual home. The studio is clearly modeled after the Record Plant in Sausalito, where Fleetwood...

Here in the Bay Area, there’s something special about seeing Stereophonic — a co-production between ACT and BroadwaySF — finally performed in its spiritual home. The studio is clearly modeled after the Record Plant in Sausalito, where Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumours. Band members take breaks to eat at Juanita’s, the famed Sausalito restaurant-slash-three ring circus run by the region’s most colorful owner and chef. There’s also a terrific vintage T-shirt (period costumes were designed by Enver Chakartash) from a venerable San Leandro sports bar, some potent weed from Santa Cruz, and references to Tiburon, Stinson Beach and Oakland.

Directed by Daniel Aukin, the show occasionally cradles its pregnant pauses or indulges monologues like a pampering mother. We don’t need to hear about every character’s dream or movie hot take, and loading those digressions with more weight than...

Directed by Daniel Aukin, the show occasionally cradles its pregnant pauses or indulges monologues like a pampering mother. We don’t need to hear about every character’s dream or movie hot take, and loading those digressions with more weight than they deserve looks portentous. At these moments, it’s like the show’s so in love with itself that everything it comes up with is de facto brilliant. But most of the time, “Stereophonic” is brilliant, and such lapses are instantly forgivable.

Those who appreciate dialogue, including humorous and witty asides, might appreciate that the strength of Stereophonic lies in its presentation of a multi year story all within the singular studio setting, often with multiple scenes overlapping as th...

Those who appreciate dialogue, including humorous and witty asides, might appreciate that the strength of Stereophonic lies in its presentation of a multi year story all within the singular studio setting, often with multiple scenes overlapping as the recording booth and console area break up the set and allow for moments of playful interplay.

A reviewer said of the original production, "It's UNFAIR to make me laugh this much!” I wish I could say that of the touring show. Unfortunately, I can’t. This production seems to be missing some of the abandonment needed to really get the aud...

A reviewer said of the original production, "It's UNFAIR to make me laugh this much!” I wish I could say that of the touring show. Unfortunately, I can’t. This production seems to be missing some of the abandonment needed to really get the audience to let loose.

Daniel Aukin’s production, which had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons in 2023 before moving to Broadway the following year, hasn’t lost its confident flow. The storytelling is lucidly laid out. But the tantalizing peculiarities of th...

Daniel Aukin’s production, which had its New York premiere at Playwrights Horizons in 2023 before moving to Broadway the following year, hasn’t lost its confident flow. The storytelling is lucidly laid out. But the tantalizing peculiarities of the characters have been whittled down.

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 perso...

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.

Admittedly, I am not a person who identifies as a fan of plays, as I tend to favor Musical Theater, and I struggled a bit with Stereophonic. The music, written by Will Butler, formerly of indie rock band Arcade Fire was fantastic—when we got to hea...

Admittedly, I am not a person who identifies as a fan of plays, as I tend to favor Musical Theater, and I struggled a bit with Stereophonic. The music, written by Will Butler, formerly of indie rock band Arcade Fire was fantastic—when we got to hear it. Such a concept felt that it should have lent to having more music; despite being labeled a play and not a musical, this could be attributed to personal preference.

The only negative is that, while Stereophonic is always engaging, it is far too long at three hours. Director Daniel Aukin can do only so much when a script is that lengthy, and he does his best to keep things moving without seeming like the story is...

The only negative is that, while Stereophonic is always engaging, it is far too long at three hours. Director Daniel Aukin can do only so much when a script is that lengthy, and he does his best to keep things moving without seeming like the story is fast-forwarding, but many people left at intermission, perhaps due to the fact that, despite there being a lot of humor, the show could use a boost of energy.

It is excellently crafted, this show for the person who loves rock music — especially 1970s rock music — and who appreciates a window into the creative process. Writer David Adjmi illustrates how many decisions go into making that piece of work y...

It is excellently crafted, this show for the person who loves rock music — especially 1970s rock music — and who appreciates a window into the creative process. Writer David Adjmi illustrates how many decisions go into making that piece of work you love, as well as showing the kind of dramatic tension that may lie behind them.

How did a show so lauded by critics garner such a lukewarm – even downright cold – response from Playhouse Square audiences? The problem is not with the play or the production, both of which are exquisite, but instead lies with expectations garne...

How did a show so lauded by critics garner such a lukewarm – even downright cold – response from Playhouse Square audiences? The problem is not with the play or the production, both of which are exquisite, but instead lies with expectations garnered by the performance space.

Is the show bad? I think not. It is contains conflicts that seem contrived, and a fragmented soap-opera story, which doesn’t always flesh out what is going on. These are overlaid on a marvelous musical score. If only the script was of the same...

Is the show bad? I think not. It is contains conflicts that seem contrived, and a fragmented soap-opera story, which doesn’t always flesh out what is going on. These are overlaid on a marvelous musical score. If only the script was of the same quality as the music.

Ironically, for all its obsession with process, the play shines when it stops explaining how an album gets made and lets the music breathe. Songs like “Drive,” which showcases Kouatchou’s tender vocal and is the most Fleetwood Mac–esque of th...

Ironically, for all its obsession with process, the play shines when it stops explaining how an album gets made and lets the music breathe. Songs like “Drive,” which showcases Kouatchou’s tender vocal and is the most Fleetwood Mac–esque of the bunch, and “Masquerade,” with its cinematic vibe reminiscent of The Who, make a convincing case for a band on the brink of stardom. On “Bright,” DeJean’s Diana sings with a sweet twang and cuts through the noise with conviction — not unlike Nicks in that 1997 video.

A modern take on a tale of classic rock, “Stereophonic” earns its reputation as a riveting and intense drama, an innovative musical-play hybrid that is rocking the theater world. It’s a production well worth the experience during its limited Ch...

A modern take on a tale of classic rock, “Stereophonic” earns its reputation as a riveting and intense drama, an innovative musical-play hybrid that is rocking the theater world. It’s a production well worth the experience during its limited Chicago engagement.

To call Stereophonic a musical is a stretch because many of the tunes are not complete when performed for the public in this imaginary studio. Don't confuse Stereophonic with the Welsh band Stereophonics, as Stereophonic refers to sound formed from m...

To call Stereophonic a musical is a stretch because many of the tunes are not complete when performed for the public in this imaginary studio. Don't confuse Stereophonic with the Welsh band Stereophonics, as Stereophonic refers to sound formed from multidirectional audio, often shortened to “stereo.”

“Stereophonic” has a longer running time than most productions, but you will not regret the investment of a few hours seeing this four-act play. The characters will stay with you, and the play’s length adds a sense of spaciousness to the procee...

“Stereophonic” has a longer running time than most productions, but you will not regret the investment of a few hours seeing this four-act play. The characters will stay with you, and the play’s length adds a sense of spaciousness to the proceedings. If you love theatre, you will not want to miss “Stereophonic,” a modern classic, and with five Tonys, it already inhabits a significant place in theatre history.

The actors must embody the often alternately nihilistic, deadpan, and snarky undertows of humor in the play as well as the highs and lows of drug -fueled adrenaline and the crashing lows of harsh reality cutting into their perceived joyful moments—...

The actors must embody the often alternately nihilistic, deadpan, and snarky undertows of humor in the play as well as the highs and lows of drug -fueled adrenaline and the crashing lows of harsh reality cutting into their perceived joyful moments—and , in this production, they certainly did.

The going is slow at first, and it takes awhile for the show to gain emotional traction, or even orientation. The exposition needs to be crisper. The unnamed band, and even Fleetwood Mac, were not John, Paul, George and Ringo in terms of popular awa...

The going is slow at first, and it takes awhile for the show to gain emotional traction, or even orientation. The exposition needs to be crisper. The unnamed band, and even Fleetwood Mac, were not John, Paul, George and Ringo in terms of popular awareness; neither then nor now would most of us know them as individuals, let alone who of them was in what stage of sexual liaison or marital connection with others of them, meaning that it should have been Adjmi’s Job One to teach all that to us. And I think this might have been a context in which less could well have been more.

The three-hour play isn’t marked with plot points as much as it’s mapped by moments of contention and emotional breakdowns. And yet, the natural inclination to invest in playwright David Adjmi’s characters is enough to not only make the show wo...

The three-hour play isn’t marked with plot points as much as it’s mapped by moments of contention and emotional breakdowns. And yet, the natural inclination to invest in playwright David Adjmi’s characters is enough to not only make the show work, but to make it stick.

For music lovers, particularly die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans and others who love behind-the-scenes fare, this play provides what feels like an authentic, birds eye view of what recording an album was like in the ‘70s. It captures the nostalgia of a b...

For music lovers, particularly die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans and others who love behind-the-scenes fare, this play provides what feels like an authentic, birds eye view of what recording an album was like in the ‘70s. It captures the nostalgia of a bygone era when celebrities were mysterious, gifted people who could only be somewhat known through their art and 4,000-word features in music magazines.

The performances are all strong, and more importantly, feel very real. That naturalism is what allows the show to function less as a traditional narrative and more as a slice of life. The story is about happens as this record is made. There are no he...

The performances are all strong, and more importantly, feel very real. That naturalism is what allows the show to function less as a traditional narrative and more as a slice of life. The story is about happens as this record is made. There are no heroes here. No clear protagonist. It truly is a slice of life, and sometimes this is exactly what life looks like. A group of people doing their thing, messy and unresolved.

he one issue I have with the show is that everyone yells their lines. The biggest culprit here is Mr. Mowood, whose stage directions for Reg must have been YELL EVERYTHING! Even in normal conversation, the actors words hit the ears hard. I’m not...

he one issue I have with the show is that everyone yells their lines. The biggest culprit here is Mr. Mowood, whose stage directions for Reg must have been YELL EVERYTHING! Even in normal conversation, the actors words hit the ears hard. I’m not sure if this was a sound problem or just the way the show is intended to be performed, but several people around us were visibly discouraged by the noise and left the performance. The show runs a little over 3-hours with intermission but could have been 30 minutes shorter without losing any of the drama. Sometimes less is more.

Yet any reservations about its length vanish when cast members sing and play. They really sound like rockers, not Broadway singers adapting themselves to a different vocal style, and they play Butler’s ear-catching licks enthusiastically. Not one o...

Yet any reservations about its length vanish when cast members sing and play. They really sound like rockers, not Broadway singers adapting themselves to a different vocal style, and they play Butler’s ear-catching licks enthusiastically. Not one of them was alive when Fleetwood Mac created its magnum opus, but all five render ‘70s rock ‘n’ roll as if to the manner born.