Review: STEREOPHONIC at Curran Theatre

I had the pleasure of seeing the original Broadway production of Stereophonic that ruled the 2023 awards season becoming most Tony Award-nominated play of all time, winner of five. My thoughts then were brilliant concept excellently executed, and this touring production, making its San Francisco debut duplicates the magic of this intimate look into the recording of a studio album.

In a Sausalito recording studio, a band struggles to create the follow-up to a number one LP. The stresses of ego, creativity, control, and insecurities threaten to derail the project, and through the Tony winning Scenic Design (David Zinn) and Sound Design (Ryan Rumery) we’re right there to witness the carnage. Set in 1976, the dialogue features plenty of stoner talk as the band rips through cocaine, pot, and booze. Bass player Reg (Christopher Mowod) rails on about the war between houseboat owners and landowners. Keyboardist Holly (Emilie Kouatchou) discusses the eroticism of the 1973 film “Don’t Look Now” while her up and down relationship with Reg rages on.

Through both the innocuous stream of conscious banter and the very intimate conversations between the two bandmate couples we’re privy to the breakups and tensions that define these deeply wounded individuals. Simon (Cornelius McMoyler), the band’s founder, is losing his family back in Britain, Peter (Denver Milord), who’s tackling production of the LP, feels his leadership challenged when all he wants is family. Diana (Claire DeJean) needs constant reassurance of her worth and struggles with partner Peter. Even engineer Grover (Jack Barrett) is a mess, lying his way into the job and feeling the burden of his inexperience.

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.

Daniel Aukin’s Tony-winning direction is a marvel as he moves the action seamlessly between the split stage of the console room and sound stage. It’s hard not to make a comparison to the real-life band Fleetwood Mac and the creation of their 1977 album Rumours. The similarities of couple breakups, the British angle, and the sound of the music itself suggest so. Regardless, Stereophonic chronicles the creative process and the effect of superstardom in the rock world accurately. It’s not a pretty picture by any means but makes for compelling drama.

Stereophonic continues through November 23rd. For tickets go to broadwaysf.com.

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