We are pleased to present the first-ever family-friendly musical to feature a trans-adolescent lead. I am John, the writer, co-composer, and lyricist of “In the Tent of Stars,” a magical realism story that promises to bring a forgotten chapter of American theater back from a time much like ours now.

Imagine entering the auditorium to a magic lantern show while a silent comedian winds up an Edison Cylinder phonograph playing the latest hits from 1918. As the curtains part, you watch the tent rise and become the audience of a high-energy song and dance show with a cast of nine and the onstage band, all in a single tent set with old-school roll-down olios. But you also see the backstage drama of self-discovery, friendship, and acceptance. You also see a shadow in the tent that confronts each of them.

I have poured a lot of myself into this story, and many ghosts tell the tales within it. I’m the father of a trans kid, but way back in 1969, before the word transgender even existed, I hurt another boy through my ignorance. So this is me saying I’m sorry, and everyone deserves to be seen as who they are.

But that is only one piece of the story. Rooted in the legacy of my grandfather’s tent show years, this production offers a mesmerizing experience under a canopy adorned with constellations, formed not by starlight but by sunlight peeking through spots on the canvas. There is no explanation for why they shine at night, as well. 

It follows The Astrolabe Theater Company, a 1918 traveling vaudeville tent show that brings together two twelve-year-old boys, Lincoln, a young soul yearning for recognition amid the shadow of his estranged Broadway parents, and Alex, a spirited transgender popcorn vendor, hiding his pain from everyone. Their budding friendship unfolds against the backdrop of a vibrant musical world populated by eccentric characters and the mystery of the tent itself. 

As the story progresses, audiences are invited to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery, exploring the shadows of regret, belief, and the transformative power of chaos itself. Ultimately, the canvas is dropped, revealing the secret beyond it, pulling the audience into the narrative and its repercussions as the boys discover the 800-year-old truth of the show’s hosts, that mysterious shadow, and a tent filled with inexplicably glowing stars.

Miss Hazel Jade will direct, several Broadway names will act, and a top choreographer and a world-class illusionist will train our cast. Still, we must workshop this for a potential one-night production at the London Palladium and beyond. I think the world needs to know what makes those stars glow. When the canvas drops at the end of the show, they will.

Join us. It’s audacious, joyous, and poignant. It’s our own history and our path forward. We are the shadows that point to the light. We are Astrolabe. We trust Chaos.