Playhouse Square’s touring ‘Stereophonic’ is a study of intensity

When you consider all of the challenges involved in making a hit rock and roll song much less a hit album it is a miracle that we have such a large catalog of great music by various groups. You can attest to this by a simple stroll through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It took massive amounts of sex, drugs and time to make rock and roll back in the day. Four or five (or more) “friends” would gather to make music with each one having varying egos, personalities, histories, vices and baggage that are magnified in the rare atmosphere that is the modern recording studio. Add to this mix was a healthy dose of fame and hero worship along with mountains of cash and the rigors of touring. What you had was a recipe for disaster but not before something fantastic was created.

David Adjmi (book) and Will Butler’s (music) “Stereophonic” is a carefully crafted ‘play with music’ that allows us to be “a fly on the wall” witness to the time consuming creative process. Be forewarned, it is a long process with the show weighing in at over three hours plus intermission (you may want to bring a cushion to sit on).

An unnamed British/American five piece group who is on the cusp of greatness has gathered in Sausalito, California to record what will become their epic album. Peter (Denver Milord) is the de facto bandleader, singer and lead guitar whose wife Diana (Claire Dejean) has penned the songs that have gotten them noticed by Columbia Records. This knocks Peter down a notch much to his chagrin. Holly (Emilie Kouatchou) is Diana’s best friend who plays keyboards and sings back-up. Reg (Christopher Mowod) is the booze and coke fueled bass player virtuoso (married to Holly) who flits from one health and spiritual cure-all after another (he wants to write a song about the Sausalito House Boat Wars). Rounding out the group is Simon (Cornelius McMoyler) who is the group’s drummer and overworked peacemaker who misses his family back in England. When not in the studio, the five share a house adding more pressure to their various relationships.

The show is divided into four acts (with intermission between act two and three) that occur between June of 1976 to June of 1977 with act four taking place in a studio in Los Angeles. What we witness is the slow disintegration of personal relationships over that year long period. At first, all five members are assembled in the recording studio as the magic happens with one of their songs. By the fourth act the best that sound engineer Grover (Jack Barrett) can do is to assemble three members to sing the overdubs to previously recorded sound tracks. Grover is helped by his assistant and gopher Charlie (Steven Lee Johnson) who after an entire year the band still does not know his name.

As for the acting, it is spectacular. Each actor inhabits their role bringing all the strengths and most importantly the weaknesses of their character to light. On top of this each one is an accomplished musician to boot cranking out some solid rock and roll. By the end of the show you will develop a strong dislike of the characters while loving their music.

It is no huge secret that the show is loosely based on the recording sessions of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” Album which involved a 2024 law suit brought on by Fleetwood Mac producer Ken Caillat and co-author Steven Stiefel alleging copyright infringement of their book “Making Rumours”. The show “Stereophonic” received an historic 13 Tony Awards nominations winning five. Originally scheduled for just 14 weeks of limited engagement it lasted on Broadway for 321 performances.

The set design by David Zinn is so realistic that you cease to be an audience member and more of a witness. Every little detail is there. Costume designer Enver Chakartash outfits the various actors in a colorful variety of authentic 70s garb that evolve as the show progresses. Jiyoun Chang’s lighting design makes full use of the stage set with two distinct lighting designs for the control room and studio area. Ryan Rumery’s sound design is awesome with distinct differences between the recordings and the playbacks.

This is one of those shows that you will either love or hate or both. There is not a lot of middle ground on this one. Along with the long sit time there are some pretty intense emotional scenes that cut pretty deep. At the opening night intermission some members of the audience opted to leave while those that stayed were rewarded with an exceptional study in social collapse. It was well worth sticking around for.

The Playhouse Square touring production of “Stereophonic” will be on stage in the Connor Palace Theatre at Playhouse Square through January 26, 2026. for more information and tickets go to https://www.playhousesquare.org/ or call (216) 241-6000.