A groundbreaking new musical that blends spoken English, American Sign Language, and cutting-edge stage technology is set to make its world premiere this summer in New Jersey.
Two River Theater and Deaf West Theatre have announced the full cast for Elephant Shoes, an original musical that will run from June 4 through June 28 in the Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. Rehearsals for the highly anticipated production are now underway.
The cast features an accomplished lineup of performers from Broadway, television, and acclaimed Deaf West productions. Leading the company are Daniel Durant (CODA, Spring Awakening) as Cy, Taylor Iman Jones (Six, Head Over Heels) as Roxy, and James Olivas (American Idiot, Evita) as Chris. They are joined by Antoinette Lori Abbamonte, Klea Blackhurst, Amy Keum, Remy Laifer, Siena Rafter, Hector Reynoso, Don Stephenson, and Raven Sutton.
Written by Ivan Menchell, with music and lyrics by Caroline Kay, Elephant Shoes tells the story of Cy, a deaf technology developer who has a gift for finding the right words for everyone—except himself. When his best friend Chris begins pursuing a relationship with Roxy, Cy helps craft every text message, every romantic line, and every heartfelt conversation. As Roxy falls for the person behind the words, Cy finds himself facing an impossible dilemma: he is secretly falling for her too.
The musical explores communication, identity, friendship, and love through an innovative theatrical approach that combines spoken dialogue, American Sign Language, music, and visual storytelling. Designed to be fully accessible to both deaf and hearing audiences, the production aims to create a shared theatrical experience unlike any other.
The production is directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun, known for his work on Newsies and Deaf West’s acclaimed productions. The creative team also includes ASL choreographer Colin Analco, music supervisor Meghann Zervoulis Bate, and Tony Award-winning composer Tom Kitt, who provides orchestrations.
Deaf West Artistic Director DJ Kurs said the story explores the distance between feelings and language, noting that the cast understands what it means to live and communicate across multiple forms of expression.
Two River Theater Artistic Director Justin Waldman called the project a unique collaboration that continues the theater’s commitment to presenting innovative new works.
With its blend of romance, humor, music, and accessibility, Elephant Shoes is poised to be one of the most talked-about new musicals of the summer. The production represents a significant collaboration between two celebrated theater organizations dedicated to expanding how stories are told—and who gets to experience them.