Preludes

“Hypnotic and dazzling.” – The Stage

“An involving and ultimately moving story about the unknowable ebbs and flows of creativity that artists fear, sometimes master, sometimes fall victim to and invariably navigate over the course of a lifetime… a most intriguing and engaging journey down the rabbit hole of artistic accomplishment.” – Deadline

“Writer’s block turns out to be a lot more inspiring than you could ever have imagined – and sad and stirring and gloriously fun. In Preludes, Dave Malloy makes beautiful music out of a composer’s three years of creative silence… As undeniable as it is, Rach’s pain is also our pleasure for the two phantasmagorical hours of this walls-bursting chamber work… the best musical about art’s agonies since Georges Seurat wielded a twitchy paintbrush in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George.” – The New York Times

“A highly personal mashup of Rachmaninoff’s work, a dark period of his history, and Malloy’s own musical compositions. There’s no denying the energy and the passion of his inventive interpretation.” – Variety

“Packed with bright ideas… Malloy weaves his own compositions with variations on Rachmaninoff themes as the composer wrestles with his creative block.” – Daily News

“Daring… Malloy’s playfulness is paired with a deep knowledge and love for his subject.” – New York Post

“Compelling… an intriguing, challenging evening of theatre… Preludes earns a high recommendation. Surely, you're unlikely to see anything quite like it.” – Huffington Post