Berkshire on Stage

How rare it is to attend a brand-new musical by an unknown writer and composer and to feel captured by the very first number. That was my experience seeing The Waiting, A New Musical still in process, produced by Playhouse Stage Company at the Cohoes Music Hall, book and lyrics by EmmaLee Kidwell and music by Maria Isabella Andreoli.

Entirely sung, we are introduced to six of the seven cast members, in the ‘InBetween: a liminal space in the mystical woods of Vermont,’ led by Stu (Falan Nuhring), a virtual narrator, singing ‘This Is Where I Call Home.’ It becomes clear that the characters are both part of the world of the living and part of the world of InBetween. The time is both now and then. 

When Chlo (Gabriella Mancuso), the seventh character enters, she is the only one fully in the world of the living, yet, eventually enters the InBetween. Apparently, she and her husband, Henry (Dan Teixeira) have had a child, Willow, lost in the woods of Vermont. Henry is gone as well. If the plot sounds confusing, it is. The story needs more work to become clearer to the audience. Nevertheless, with a Hadestown feel in a world of Purgatory, and with a score reminiscent of Spring Awakening with added folk rock, we are swept away in this liminal world. We see longing and mourning. As Kidwell and Andreoli state in the program notes, “Some people walk into our lives, and a lifetime of loving them is not enough.”

Going back and forth in time, we see Chlo’s relationship build with Memory Henry (M-Jay He), as they dream of building a home and living with their child, Willow, sung about in ‘Her and You and Me.’ Chlo is desperate to find her daughter.

Finding a willow leaf prompts the beautiful song ‘Willow Leaves’ sung by Henry with the double meaning of the tree and his missing daughter. “Always meant to leave. Always meant to grieve.” Texeira helps us feel his pain with his wonderful voice and moving performance.

Margo (Ariana Papaleo) has been in the InBetween the longest and spends much time tending her garden, watering, nurturing and tilling the soil. With a Joan Baez/Laura Nyro voice, she sings ‘To Be a Butterfly.’ “I don’t know why but I’m drawn to the sky. I think it’s where we go after we die.” The image is beautiful and presents an alternate reality to death, where most of these characters exist.

The dance and choreography by Ryland J. Mar augment the ethereal world of The Waiting. While all characters are graceful and move beautifully, the standouts are Memory Margo (Ash Hudak), Memory Henry and Memory Stu (Soph DeLange). With modern dance, the choreography reflects the mood of this musical and is compelling to watch.

Nuhring brings a Puck-like character to Stu, always in the background watching over the InBetween world. Mancuso, as Chloe, has a powerful voice as she falls in love with Henry and is longing to find Willow. She easily commands the stage.

The cast performs in front of a seven-piece orchestra placed upstage and conducted by Musical Director, Brian Axford. The strings are glorious throughout this score.

Hanging willow leaves frame the stage, by Scenic Designer, Jacob Bell. In front of the orchestra are boxes, trunks, wheels and debris strewn haphazardly, perhaps representing what’s left of an abandoned life. Lighting Design by Olivia Mack is effective in maintaining the mystical mood of the musical, with characters sometimes shining flashlights on each other. The misty haze on stage might have been used more sparingly to enable some scenes to look sharper.

Costume Designer, Catherine Fitzgerald, dresses the cast in street clothes and bohemian flowy skirts. The characters of the InBetween enter in white as the musical concludes, perhaps representing new life or death.

What joy Director Abigail Grubb must have had with the chance to direct this new, original, beautiful piece. With talented triple-threat performers and a full orchestra, she brings Kidwell and Androli’s story to life. Although the lyrics are sung clearly, we need to understand the plot more quickly and understand these two worlds more effectively. I have no doubt this musical will continue to evolve and win over more audiences. The Waiting will no longer be the ‘New’ musical, but the musical we all want to see.

The Playhouse Stage Company production of The Waiting, music by Maria Isabella Andreoli, book and lyrics by EmmaLee Kidwell, directed by Abigail Grubb, runs June 12-15, 2025, at the Cohoes Music Hall. CAST: Ariana Papaleo as Margo, Dan Texiera as Henry, Gabriella Mancuso as Chlo Evans, Falan Nuhring as Stu, Ash Hudak as Memory Margo, M-Jay He as Memory Henry, and Sophie DeLange as Memory Stu. CREATIVE TEAM: Choreography Ryland J. Mar; Musical Director & Original Orchestrations by Brian Axford; Scenic Design by Jacob Bell; Lighting Design by Olivia Mack; Costume Design by Catherine Fitzgerald; Properties Design by Casey Martiniano.

Performances June 12-15, 2025, Thursday at 8:30 pm, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm at the Cohoes Music Hall, 58 Remsen Street, Cohoes, NY. Tickets $20 & $40. Call the box office at 518-434-0776 or visit https://www.playhousestage.org