Stereophonic is One of the Best Plays of Our Generation!
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Image Courtesy of Julieta Cervantes
By Anthony Capriglione
Stereophonic: the five-time Tony award-winner, including best play, has started its performances here, in the nation’s capital. The show is currently playing at the National Theatre right near the Metro Center. Stereophonic is a fly-on-the-wall style narrative following a fictional rock band in the 70’s, focusing on their pursuit to produce another hit record. The band is composed of the lead drummer, Simon (Cornelius McMoyler), Bassist Reg (Christopher Mowod), who is married to Keyboardist Holly (Emilie Kouatchou), and the lead singers, Peter (Denver Milord) and Diana (Claire DeJean), who are also a couple. Rounding out the cast of characters are Grover (Jack Barrett), the leading audio engineer, and Charlie (Steven Lee Johnson), his assistant.
The play is set in a California recording studio, and the narrative spans a total of just under a year between July of 1976 and June of 1977. Stereophonic ran on Broadway between April 2024 and January 2025, with the Broadway National Tour beginning in October 2025. At nearly three hours and comprising four acts, Stereophonic is not the easiest to sit through on paper. Thankfully, the play’s writer, David Adjmi, constructed the dialogue and dynamic in a way that easily captivates audiences with a dramatic and surprisingly witty, funny book.
The most unique and, in my opinion, coolest aspect of Stereophonic is the live songs that are performed. Given that the narrative follows a rock band, original songs were written and composed by Grammy-Award-Winning Will Butler for the show. These songs are spectacularly performed and mixed live every night in front of the audience. These original songs could have been rehashed material from Fleetwood Mac or Led Zeppelin, and I would not have questioned it whatsoever; they perfectly encapsulate the sound and feel of the ’70s, easily making their way to my playlists. Some favourites of the songs performed were “Bright (Fast)” and “Masquerade.”
Stereophonic serves as a masterclass for good writing, and a sense of anxiety is formed with how the characters interact and their relationships, which are on thin ice. The show itself rewards attentive watching, paying attention to how the characters conduct themselves, and watching how they all feel towards one another. The fly-on-the-wall nature of the show makes this a unique narrative to follow, and I quite enjoyed it. The show does not spoonfeed you the narrative, but rather has a clear objective (creating the album) that the band strives for, and the conflict breeds from that, rather than a traditional external force seen in other forms of theatre.
As for the individual performances, Claire DeJean’s Diana was a favourite! Diana is a character who grows a lot during the year the play takes place, maturing into a confident and better singer while also becoming a more resilient person. Opposite her, Denver Milord’s Peter is another scene stealer. He plays the arrogant, obsessive lead singer, which manifests itself in different ways during the show; however, the best moment was a monologue where he began to break down and reveal his problems to Diana. This wide range of emotions played so well against the rest of the band and made everyone’s emotions even clearer. The last performance I wanted to call out was Jack Barrett’s Grover. As the audio engineer for the album and a non-band member, he serves as the epicenter for the audience to follow. He is endearing and makes a wonderful audience surrogate.
Stereophonic was a wonderful show to go and see, making for an amazing night out. The show also serves as a great exploration of the themes of toxic relationships in the media industry and the creative process. I would recommend going to see it, with this production in D.C running until March 1, so go and get tickets online at the National Theatre’s website or check the Stereophonic website for more dates and stops along the U.S Broadway National Tour!
