December 2025
Following the recording studio interactions in the life of a band as they rise from an upstart group of musicians with a record deal through the release of a number one album to the cracks of a splintering group as members look to go their different directions, Stereophonic, performing at Reno’s Pioneer Center For The Performing Arts from December 2nd-7th, is an exercise in character evolution, and hints at being inspired by, if not outright based on Fleetwood Mac’s famed Rumours sessions.
Set entirely in a recording studio environment, the cast play a collective of five musicians and two recording engineers, pulling from inner band tensions, personal insecurities and ego, substance use, and fabricated work resumés as they go from recording an early album which cracks the Top 40 to nearly imploding due to incessant bickering and power dynamics.
Stereophonic hits the Pioneer Center following a Broadway run which resulted in being the most Tony Award-nominated production of 2024. Written by David Adjmi whose works include Marie Antoinette and Stunning, directed by Daniel Aukin and featuring music written by Will Butler of The Arcade Fire, the show can be viewed as tracing a line rather than an arc, with a perceptible lack of action and more a steady meandering through rock world cliches of more or less humble beginnings to caterwauling egos that ultimately end in the process being more a commodity than a passion and certain players admitting to solo offers from the record label.
Those who appreciate dialogue, including humorous and witty asides, might appreciate that the strength of Stereophonic lies in its presentation of a multi year story all within the singular studio setting, often with multiple scenes overlapping as the recording booth and console area break up the set and allow for moments of playful interplay. Those who are looking for some single climax or resolution, or even just a lengthy gap where the bickering between characters isn’t seemingly omnipresent, may not be as satisfied.
The cast, however, do perform their roles great, as it is the characters’ personal growths and demons that take center stage in lieu of a larger conflict. Dialogue can be funny or angering. And throughout the show there are several moments where the characters click and the warmth of the songs they are recording – 70’s popular rock sounding songs written by Will Butler – envelop the room and punctuate what the mess of a situation has, or had, the potential to create.
Seemingly thinly veiled as a reimagining of Fleetwood Mac recording Rumours, Stereophonic picks up on the stage where the streaming show Daisy Jones And The Six left off. While not necessarily breathing new life or insight into anything, the production does riff on what chaos might be occurring behind the scenes of some beautifully memorable music.
Stereophonic runs at the Pioneer Center For The Performing Arts from December 3rd-7th. Tickets available here.
