On April 23, 2026, If I Could Go had its first-ever staged reading in New York City, as part of the Emerging Artists Theatre Spark Festival at the TADA Theatre. To sit in a room and watch the story come alive (spoken, sung, and acted by a company this extraordinary) was something I'll never forget. It has been a dream come true to bring the show to stage in New York City.
Thank You
First and most importantly: thank you to everyone who came. Friends, family, strangers, and industry folks alike: you made the room what it was. A staged reading lives or dies on the energy of its audience, and ours was generous, present, and open.
Thank you to our remarkable cast of principal actors (Jadon Lopez, Kate Fitzgerald, Marc Kudisch, Jade Jones, Andréa Burns, and Richard B. Watson) for giving these characters voice, breath, and heart. Each of them brought so much to their characters, and the show is better for it. Our ensemble, a combination of students and young professionals, brought energy, commitment, and a willingness to engage deeply with the story to every moment of rehearsal and performance. A special note of thanks to director Peter Flynn and music director/pianist/arranger Chris Ranney for their profound expertise, adept leadership, and genuine care with this material. It was an honor to work with them and I look forward to future collaborations.
Thank you to our band, to our production team, and to the Emerging Artists Theatre for believing in this musical and making space for it on the Spark Festival stage. By my count, it took 27 people to put this reading in front of an audience. A huge thank you to everyone involved.
Onward
This reading was a milestone, not a finish line. We're already taking what we learned and thinking about next steps. We're continuing to pursue partnerships with theaters, producers, and festivals who champion new work and want to be part of the next phase of If I Could Go: workshops, further readings, and eventually a full production. Onward!
- Steve