By Shari Barrett
Given how AI has made its way into all aspects of the media, taking a three-hour visit with the 1970s recording industry when multi-track recording was first developing without the use of computers or cell phone technology feels a bit like going back to the dinosaur era. But that was a time when the music itself lit up the airwaves thanks to groups taking the industry by the horns thanks to independent recording studios giving musicians the means to mix and create their music exactly as they wanted it to be heard. Such is the world visited in the 2024 Tony Award-winning Best Play, now at the Hollywood Pantages through January 2 as part of the production’s first national tour.
The most Tony Award-nominated play of all time, winning five including Best Play, Direction (Daniel Aukin), Scenic Design (David Zinn) and Sound Design (Ryan Rumery), Stereophonic mines the agony and the ecstasy of creation as it zooms in on a small music studio in Sausalito 1976 where an up-and-coming rock band is recording a new album after finding itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. The rocking style of the original songs by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, as well as the folksy element of their unique harmonies, perfectly mimic rock bands from the mid-1970s from around the world.
As the recording sessions unfold, the ensuing pressures inside the studio and among the band members could easily spark their group’s breakup – or their breakthrough to superstardom. Written by David Adjmi and directed by Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic invites the audience to immerse themselves with fly-on-the-wall intimacy in the powder keg, almost year-long process of creating a new album following the group’s first #1 album and single.
It’s difficult not to compare the story to the creation of Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumours, perhaps one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Of course, “any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental” with playwright Adjmi stating, “As artists, our successes and failures are equally absurd. We [with director Aukin] are simply hostages to our impulses: we do what excites us and we try to make something we love. Everything else is outside of our control. This production was our labor of love after ten years of writing and building this thing in workshop after workshop.”
With everything except their own brand of music seemingly out of their control as portrayed by the seven top notch performers who not only sing and act the parts but also play all the instruments live onstage during the recording sessions, kudos go out to band members Denver Milord as guitarist-producer Peter, Claire DeJean as the blonde lead singer Diana with whom he is romantically involved (how can you not compare them to Lindsay Buckingman and Stevie Nicks?), with Emilie Kouatchou as keyboardist and vocalist Holly, Christopher Mowod as her bassist husband Reg whose depression-based drinking is destroying his life, and Cornelius McMoyler as drummer Simon who is stuck dealing with Peter’s perfectionist ideals about the group’s backbeat.
Seated below them at the studio’s mixing console are Jack Barrett as sound engineer Grover who lied about his studio credits to get the gig and now find himself stuck in the middle of problems he has no idea how to solve, and Steven Lee Johnson as his equally-amateur assistant Charlie who manages to finally save the day due to his ability to absorb lessons learned along the way. One thing for sure is Grover’s fascination with Diana, which causes him to do what he can to make sure she and Peter split up so he can move in on her.
Along with these seven incredible performers, brilliant script, and outstanding direction, Stereophonic is blessed with a technical team (with scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Enver Chakartash, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Ryan Rumery, and hair & wig design by Robert Pickens and Katie Gell) that has created a perfect representation of a double level recording studio which allows us to watch both the musicians in the studio and sound board engineers at work simultaneously. And as someone who spent time working in recording studios, I can tell you it’s a madcap world where split-second decisions must be communicated with precision that can drive a person to fits of frustration, explosive anger, or total euphoria depending upon the outcome. And out of that crazy world comes music that will inspire millions and last for generations.
Stereophonic performances continue at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles 90028 on Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Please note schedule varies during holiday weeks. Check website for schedule adjustments and ticket costs at www.BroadwayInHollywood.com or at www.Ticketmaster.com.
Tickets are also available at the box office, but best to purchase them there or online in advance, and allow yourself plenty of time to park and have your tickets in hand rather than having to wait at the box office since Stereophonic performances begin promptly on time and run for 2 Hours and 50 Minutes, performed in four acts with an intermission between Acts 2 and 3.
