Everything you need to know about 'Stereophonic' on Broadway

David Adjmi’s play, which features original rock music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, became the most Tony Award-nominated Broadway play in history in 2024.

You’re with the band! David Adjmi’s Stereophonic, with original music by Will Butler of Arcade Fire, charts the recording of a rock band’s album over the span of a year. The most Tony Award-nominated play in history invites audiences inside the recording studio for a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of a rock album.

New York Theatre Guide’s Stereophonic review reads, “The audience can’t fully enjoy Sarah Pidgeon's spot-on belt without first hearing her character, lead vocalist Diana, struggle to hit the high note over several takes. They can't revel at the bright sound of the snare without listening to it rattle for several long minutes. And the payoff is fantastic.”

The critically acclaimed play with music doesn’t miss a beat, and it’s certainly not to miss. Learn more about Stereophonic before taking your seat behind the mixing console at the Golden Theatre.

Get Stereophonic tickets now.

What is Stereophonic about?

Stereophonic’s fictional, nameless five-member band draws parallels to the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac — and the infamous recording of its seminal album Rumours. Set in a California recording studio, the play follows the band’s messy interpersonal dynamics, including romantic entanglements and substance abuse, as they piece together a rock album that could launch them to fame or fall flat. The timeline to record the album stretches from months to a year, and the pressure mounts to produce a chart-topping record.

Is Stereophonic a play or musical?

Stereophonic is a play that features music. Unlike in a musical, the 14 original songs in Stereophonic do not drive the plot forward. Instead, the dialogue is interspersed with the band playing songs live in the recording studio.

Where is Stereophonic playing?

Stereophonic as at the Golden Theatre, located at 252 West 45th St. between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Built in 1927, the Golden Theatre’s interior features Spanish influences.

Recent productions there include The Shark Is Broken, Prima Facie, Topdog/Underdog, and Hangmen.

How long is Stereophonic?

Stereophonic runs 3 hours and 10 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission. This runtime is longer than a typical Broadway show.

What days is Stereophonic playing?

Stereophonic has eight performances a week at the Golden Theatre, with two performances on Wednesday and Saturday and no Monday performances. Visit the Stereophonic page for a complete weekly performance schedule.

When did Stereophonic premiere?

Stereophonic began its Broadway run on April 2, 2024, but the play first spent a decade in development. Here is a brief overview of Stereophonic’s journey.

• 2014: David Adjmi and Will Butler started developing an idea for a documentary-style play chronicling the recording of a rock album.
• 2017: The play was workshopped for two weeks as part of the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
• 2023: Stereophonic premieres off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on October 29 and has two extensions.
• 2024: The critically acclaimed show transfers to Broadway with the full Off-Broadway cast and creative team.

Who wrote Stereophonic?

Stereophonic was written by David Adjmi, whose other plays include The Evildoers, Stunning, Marie Antoinette, Eclectic Affinities, and 3C. The show marks Adjmi’s Broadway debut, but his works have been developed and produced at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Soho Repertory Theater, Playwrights Horizons, and Lincoln Center Theater.

Will Butler, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and former member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire, wrote the music for Stereophonic. Arcade Fire is best known for its award-winning album Funeral, released in 2004.

Stereophonic characters

Stereophonic features a close-knit, seven-person ensemble, with each actor playing an equally significant role.

• Peter: The band’s guitarist and one of three vocalists, Peter is a strong-headed bandmate-turned-producer who drives decisions in the recording studio.
• Diana: As the lead vocalist, tambourine player, and budding composer, Diana is the band’s rising star. She’s also Peter’s on-again, off-again girlfriend.
• Reg: The band’s bass player brings humor and also causes chaos with his heavy drug use.
• Holly: The level-headed keyboard player and vocalist Holly also plays the role of band mediator when tensions rise. She’s also Reg’s better half.
• Simon: The cool-as-a-cucumber Simon is the band’s drummer and manager.
• Grover: The band’s inexperienced recording engineer has a lot to gain — or lose — with the forthcoming album.
• Charlie: The skilled assistant recording engineer is the band’s target of blame and ridicule.

Who is in the cast of Stereophonic?

Like the band members in Stereophonic, the cast members will surely become household names due to the project’s many accolades. There are a few familiar faces from the silver screen, though, including Juliana Canfield (Holly) from HBO’s hit Succession and Sarah Pidgeon (Diana) from Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things.

Other cast members include Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, and Chris Stack. Canfield, Pidgeon, Gelb, and Pecinka earned Tony Award nominations for their performances, and Brill won for his.

Stereophonic songs

Stereophonic features fourteen songs by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, including the standout hit and Act 1 closer “Masquerade.” The number of songs — and the social media buzz online ahead of the cast album release — are atypical for a Broadway play. Here are all the songs on the Stereophonic cast album; not all of them appear in the show, however, and some only appear in snippets.

• "Seven Roads"
• "Bright v1"
• "Masquerade"
• "Bright (Fast)"
• "Drive"
• "Champagne"
• "East of Eden"
• "Domino"
• “It’s made of teak”
• "In Your Arms"
• "BVs"
• "Exorcist II"
• "Campfire Masquerade"
• "Bright (Take 22)"

What awards has Stereophonic won?

With 13 Tony Award nods in 2024, Stereophonic overtook 2020's 12-time-nominated Slave Play as the most Tony-nominated play in history. Stereophonic took home Best Play, Best Featured Actor (Will Brill), Best Direction (Daniel Aukin), Best Scenic Design (David Zinn), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Ryan Rumery).

Stereophonic also took home seven 2024 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play, Outstanding Direction of a Play (Daniel Aukin), Outstanding Music in a Play (Will Butler), Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play (David Zinn), Outstanding Sound Design of a Play (Ryan Rumery), Outstanding Costume Design of a Play (Enver Chakartash), and a special Ensemble Award for the cast.

Major productions of Stereophonic

The 2023 twice-extended Off-Broadway production of Stereophonic at Playwrights Horizons and the 2024 Broadway run at the Golden Theatre are the only major stagings of the play to date. The show's success, however, leaves little doubt that more productions will follow around the country and world.

Fun facts about Stereophonic

Stereophonic offers a glimpse into a fictional band in a bygone era, but the show is as realistic as it gets. Learn more about the authentic elements of the play and some fun facts.

• While the Stereophonic band's story brings Fleetwood Mac to mind, Adjmi has said in interviews that he was inspired by a number of classic rock sources, including a Metallica documentary and the Led Zeppelin song “Babe I’m Going to Leave You.”
• All the actors play instruments and sing live on stage. Some of the cast members developed these musical talents for the show. Tom Pecinka, for example, took guitar lessons twice a week to prepare.
• The mixing console on stage is real and has a claim to fame: the 1973 hit “Midnight Train to Georgia,” performed by Gladys Knight & the Pips, was recorded on it.
• Costume designer Enver Chakartash meticulously sourced the band’s groovy 1970s threads from vintage stores.
• The documentary-style play, with its themes of making art and killing darlings, reflects David Adjmi’s thoughts on writing for the theatre.

How to get Stereophonic tickets

The critically acclaimed Stereophonic strikes the perfect chord and gives audiences an inside look at the making of a record.

Get Stereophonic tickets now.

Photo credit: Stereophonic on Broadway. (Photos by Julieta Cervantes)