New musical "Wonder" based on best-selling book debuts in Cambridge
In the world premiere of "Wonder", a young boy with facial differences goes on a journey of self-discovery and finds his place in the world.
With music from the Grammy Award-winning duo A Great Big World, the new musical at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge is based on the best-selling book and 2017 film of the same name.
Garrett McNally, who plays Auggie, a boy with the same condition he has, told WBZ-TV, "It makes a story, a heartfelt story, truly genuine to have someone who has a disability, a facial difference, play a character who has a facial difference."
McNally shares the role with Max Voehl and says they both hope to inspire other kids who are a little bit different.
"I want to make them feel like they're a big community and they're heard and they're important," McNally said.
Javier Munoz plays Nate, a father who just wants the best for his son, despite the challenges he knows he'll face.
Munoz explained, "What we've really been able to find is the joy in that, is a celebration in that, and the humanity in that, the struggle in that."
Dreaming of writing a musical
As A Great Big World, composers Ian Axel and Chad King are best known for their song "Say Something." But they say writing a musical was always the dream.
Axel said, "The music in 'Wonder' feels, I think, more like us than any music we've ever created. Our music has always leaned a little theatrical."
King added, "And it feels like doing a musical has always been a North Star for us. At some point, we were going to get to this."
Axel said Wonder proved to be the perfect match.
"It's emotional, also quirky and fun," he said.
King was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007 and says it was healing for him to work on this show.
"It made me more at peace, made me able to embrace my struggle much more because I know that there are so many people also struggling as well."
For McNally, turning the story into a musical just made sense.
"It has a lot of ups and downs and really huge themes and feelings," he said.
"I would love it if audiences leave here feeling changed," Munoz said.
You can see "Wonder" at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge through Sunday, February 8.