GONE MISSING: A Musical About Losing Stuff Opens at Vivid Stage

Vivid Stage will present the New Jersey premiere of Gone Missing, a musical about losing stuff, with book by Steve Cosson and Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, from February 22 through March 3. 

Gone Missing is a wry and whimsical documentary musical of loss devised from interviews with real-life New Yorkers by The Civilians, the acclaimed New York-based company. This collection of very personal accounts of things “gone missing” —everything from keys, personal identification and a Gucci pump to family heirlooms, your dog and your mind—creates a unique tapestry of the ways in which we deal with loss in our lives. A flexible company of six performs more than thirty characters, intertwining these stories of lost objects with tales from some unusual “finders,” ranging from a retired NYPD cop to a pet psychic. Set against eclectic and tuneful songs by Michael Friedman, GONE MISSING is about the little things in life —seen largely.

Directed by Joshua Schnetzer (Summit) and musically directed by Dan Crisci (Maplewood), the cast includes Vivid Stage ensemble members Clark Carmichael (Hewitt), Laura Eksrand (Livingston), Becca Landis McLarty (Montclair), and Scott McGowan (Maplewood). It also features guests Melody Stubbs (Kenilworth) and Thomas Vorsteg (NYC).

Founded in 2001, The Civilians is dedicated to ambitious and exuberant new theater that creatively interrogates our lived experience, questions and tests the stories that shape our world, and awakens new thinking and perceptions. Its signature work is “investigative theater”—projects created through field research, community collaborations, and other methods of in-depth inquiry. Shows originated with The Civilians include Anne Washburn's Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, cited by The New York Times as the “4th Best Play of the Past 25 Years,” and Lucas Hnath's Dana H., recently on Broadway and included in Top 10 of 2021 lists by The New York Times and Time magazine. Other shows include José Rivera's Another Word for Beauty, and many works with composer Michael Friedman: Gone Missing, Pretty Filthy, Paris Commune, and more.

Gone Missing will appear at Vivid Stage at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit from February 22 through March 3. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Special dates: Thursday, February 22, is a preview performance; all tickets are $28. Sunday, February 25, is Senior Sunday; seniors age 65+ pay $28. Talkbacks follow the February 25 and March 3 matinée performances. On Thursday, February 29, there will be a Ladies' Night Out event before the performance, with dinner, vendors and networking starting at 6:30. The cost is an add-on to the show ticket of $20.

Tickets range from $25 to $42, with special rates for subscribers and groups. For touchless advance ticket purchases, go to our website. For more information, call 908-514-9654. The theatre at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices are available at all performances. The parking lot is accessible from Ashwood Avenue, behind the theatre. For information on any of Vivid Stage's programs, please call 908-514-9654, www.vividstage.org.

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