Beau the Musical is a coming-of-age musical with music by Douglas Lyons and Ethan D. Pakchar, and lyrics and book by Lyons that tells the story of a young Nashville musician searching for his long-lost rockstar grandfather. The musical premiered Off-Broadway at Theatre 154 in Greenwich Village in summer 2025, before transferring to The Distillery at St. Luke’s Theatre the same year. The production received widespread acclaim and was nominated for 10 Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards and a Drama League Award.
Plot
The play follows Ace, an aspiring Nashville musician in sixth grade, who discovers his rockstar grandfather, Beau, is still alive. In searching for his grandfather, Ace must confront his own story as a closeted teenager and his connection to music and family.
Production history
The musical first premiered Off-Broadway at Theatre 154 in Greenwich Village starring Matt Rodin as Ace, Chris Blisset as Beau, Amelia Cormack as Raven, Andrea Goss as Nurse/Karina/Le-Ann, Cory Jeacoma as Ferris, Miyuki Miyagi as Daphney, Derek J. Stoltenberg as Dennis and Matt Wolpe as Larry. The production was directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. The production opened on June 13, 2025 and ran through August 3, 2025. The production received generally positive reviews, with Theatre Mania calling it "immensely empathetic" and "timely."
The original production was nominated for 10 2026 Drama Desk Awards, the most of any production, including Outstanding Musical, nominations for Rodin, Blisset, Rhodes' direction, the show's book and score and several technical categories.. It was also nominated for four Outer Critics Circle Awards, a Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical, and four Dorian Awards.
The musical transferred Off-Broadway to The Distillery at St. Luke's Theatre, which had been converted to resemble a Nashville bar. Rodin, Cormack, Goss, Miyagi and Stoltenberg reprised their roles, with Rhodes again directing and choreographing. New cast members included Tony Award nominee Jeb Brown as Beau, Max Sangerman as Ferris, and Ryan Halsaver as Larry. The production opened on October 27, 2025 and ran through January 4, 2026, garnering critical praise. The New York Theatre Guide praised its "generally engaging story with an endearing message" and The Recs praised the show's cast and new staging as "spirited" and "intimate."
Cast and characters
Character |
Off-Broadway, |
Off-Broadway, |
|---|---|---|
Ace |
Matt Rodin |
|
Beau |
Chris Blisset |
Jeb Brown |
Raven |
Amelia Cormack |
|
Nurse/Karina/Le-Ann |
Andrea Goss |
|
Ferris |
Cory Jeacoma |
Max Sangerman |
Daphney |
Miyuki Miyagi |
|
Dennis |
Derek J. Stoltenberg |
|
Larry |
Matt Wolpe |
Ryan Halsaver |
Accolades
Year |
Award |
Category |
Nominee |
Result |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 |
Drama Desk Award |
Outstanding Musical |
|||
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical |
Matt Rodin |
||||
Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical |
Chris Blisset |
||||
Outstanding Direction of a Musical |
Josh Rhodes |
||||
Outstanding Music |
Douglas Lyons and Ethan D. Pakchar |
||||
Outstanding Lyrics |
Douglas Lyons |
||||
Outstanding Book of a Musical |
|||||
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical |
Daniel Allen |
||||
Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical |
Japhy Weideman |
||||
Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical |
Jordana Abrencia |
||||
Outer Critics Circle Award |
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical |
||||
Outstanding Book of a Musical |
Douglas Lyons |
||||
Outstanding New Score |
Douglas Lyons and Ethan D. Pakchar |
||||
Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical |
Matt Rodin |
||||
Drama League Award |
Outstanding Production of a Musical |
||||
Dorian Award |
Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical |
||||
Outstanding LGBTQ Off-Broadway Production |
|||||
Outstanding Lead Performance in an Off-Broadway Production |
Matt Rodin |
||||
Outstanding Design for an Off-Broadway Production |
|||||