JANUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 18, 2024
@ 59E59 THEATERS, THEATER A
in association with CALLIOPE STAGE COMPANY
“He’s Gone Away” from The Greatest Hits Down Route 66.
Featuring Kristoffer Cusick (Wolf Man), Hannah-Kathryn Wall (Lead Vocalist), & Andy Evan Cohen (Music Director)
"This polished play with music...seems crafted to be
a Broadway contender."
"Thought-provoking and entertaining...the cast masters their roles...
excellent band."
- Marina Kennedy, BroadwayWorld
"Genuinely affecting...Aguirre steers the action to an effective climax...
Norris' staging moves at a fast pace that nevertheless allows time for honest epiphanies...her cast is solid all the way...also pleasing are the musical arrangements."
- David Barbour, Lighting & Sound America
"...mingles beauty and melancholy in its reflection of life as a member of a family and of a nation, an ever-evolving present bookended by a checkered past and uncertain future."
- John R. Ziegler and Leah Richards, Thinking Theater NYC
"A trip definitely worth taking!"
- Brian Scott Lipton, CitiTourNY
"Song and scene enhance each other, and the road trip takes flight!"
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"Easily qualifies as one of the most imaginative musicals of recent memory...an ace cast, vocally and dramatically, brings the whole concept to life. 4.5 stars."
- Charles Passy, The 100 Word Review
"I liked the family dynamics and felt moved by the nostalgia!"
- Michele Willens, Robin Hood Radio
"Made me nostalgic and sad for things and people lost along the way. It made me appreciate the joy of singing and clapping rhythmically together and sharing stories...the band and cast were excellent!"
"An enjoyable journey...the songs are enthusiastically delivered by the cast...backed by an excellent three-piece band!"
Narrator – Joél Acosta * (he/him)
Wolf Man – Kristoffer Cusick * (he/him)
Mother Dearest – Erika Rolfsrud * (she/her)
The Eldest – Martin Ortiz * (he/him)
Wee One – Kleo Mitrokostas *† (she/her)
Guitar/Keys – Andy Evan Cohen † (he/him)
Lead Vocals – Hannah-Kathryn Wall † (she/her)
Bass – Nick Gianni (he/him)
Drummer – Mary Rodriguez (she/her)
Written by Michael Aguirre † (he/him)
Directed by Sarah Norris ^† (she/her)
Musical Arrangements by Grace Yukich (she/her) & Jennifer C. Dauphinais (they/them)
Movement + Associate Direction by Ashlee Wasmund † (she/her)
Music Direction by Andy Evan Cohen † (he/him)
Casting by Gama Valle † (él/him)
Scenic + Projection Design by Anna Kiraly (she/her)
Costume Design by Kara Branch † (she/her)
Lighting Design by Nic Vincent (he/him)
Sound Design by Kwamina Biney (he/him)
Production Stage Manager Madeleine Blossom *† (she/her)
Assistant Stage Manager Olivia Fletcher *† (she/her)
Wardrobe Supervisor Krista Grevas † (she/her)
Associate Producer Kelly McCarty † (she/they)
† indicates NLTP company member
* indicates member of Actors' Equity Association
^ indicates member of Stage Directors & Choreographers Society
ABOUT THE PLAY
It’s the summer of ‘99. The Franco family is taking the Great American Road Trip and getting to know each other along that legendary highway, whether they like it or not.
Accompanied by live music drawn from Carl Sandburg’s American Songbag, an eclectic 1920s anthology of American folk songs, the parents are challenged at every turn by their unpredictable children and soon find themselves detouring into their own childhood memories. History lessons are peppered in as the family careens around America’s iconic landmarks and cultural relics, framed by the familiar music of a bygone era.
One part family comedy, one part musical odyssey, The Greatest Hits Down Route 66 navigates the wide open spaces in our personal and collective histories and the spaces that exist between people — even those we think we know best.
Production pictures by Hunter Canning
