“Sober Songs” Brings Music, Recovery, and Hope to Theatre Row
This fall, Theatre Row will host the world premiere of Sober Songs, a bold new musical from bestselling author and ghostwriter Michael Levin. Opening September 6 and running through September 28, the show offers a heartfelt look at recovery through the lens of an imaginary young people’s Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Brooklyn. With original songs, the piece blends humor, honesty, and hope in equal measure.
For Levin, Sober Songs is about more than just music.
“It tells the story of what recovery is really about, the highs and the lows,” he explained. “My favorite moment is sitting in the audience and watching the actors sing my songs to each other and the audience.”
Levin credits his longtime passion for theater as the spark behind the project. As a child, he was dazzled by early productions of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Two Gentlemen of Verona.
“The variety of the songs in Two Gentlemen blew all my circuits,” he recalled. “That’s what I did with Sober Songs. Each one is composed in a different style.”
The musical has already resonated deeply with audiences. At the showcase performances, Levin recalls a powerful silence at the end of Act One.
“The audience was too blown away by what was happening on stage to even think about applauding. That told me they were really all in on the story.”
The project is powered by a collaborative team. Executive producer and director Chris Mackin leads the production alongside arrangers Nancy Loedy and Brian Reynolds.
“Nancy’s a genius,” Levin said. “Brian is extremely awesome at arranging, at working with musicians, and at everything he touches. He’s a joy to work with.”
Levin, known in his professional life as “the Michael Jordan of ghostwriting,” has authored dozens of national bestsellers and worked with Fortune 10 CEOs, sports team owners, and religious leaders. But with Sober Songs, he’s bringing his own words center stage.
The show is designed for anyone who loves a great night in the theater, but especially those whose lives have been touched by addiction—whether in their own journeys, through loved ones, or by curiosity about recovery.
“What do I want them to get out of it?” Levin asked. “I want them to believe in the possibility of change.”
Thanks to the support of investor Silver Kung, Sober Songs is poised to reach wide audiences. Levin is quick to note what he’s proudest of, though: his children, his collaborators, and the chance to give audiences both a good time and a message of hope.
“Sober Songs” runs September 6 through September 28 at Theatre Row, 411 West 41st Street, New York, NY 10036. For tickets, visit www.SoberSongsTheMusical.com.
