Montclair State University Musical Transfers to Lincoln Center with Full Student Cast

Originally published by Montclair Local

The Montclair State University Department of Theatre and Dance presents a full-scale staging of “The Elementary Spacetime Show,” the inventive new musical by César Alvarez with a book by Alvarez and Emily Orling. The production features more than two dozen student performers, stage managers, and musicians, culminating in a special concert presentation at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium on April 26, 2026.

“The Elementary Spacetime Show” tells the story of Alameda, a teenager who, after attempting to take her own life, finds herself in a cosmic game show that she must win in order to die. Alameda faces down a host of avatars—including a depressed mosquito, an arrogant android, a self-loathing doppelgänger, and a talking piece of rhubarb. Through eight existential trials, Alameda confronts questions of identity, loneliness, and the meaning of existence, discovering that her darkness may be a gift.

With music and lyrics by Alvarez and a book by Alvarez and Orling, the musical blends indie-rock soundscapes, experimental theatre, and philosophical storytelling. Playbill has noted that the work “bends the rules of space and time to grapple with suicide and the stigma tethered to it.” The Philadelphia Inquirer suggested the musical could become “Rent for the social-media generation.”

Alvarez says, “We’ve been working on this musical over many years and it has always been part of the plan to fully realize it with students. This is a musical about teen suicide. The piece tries to strike directly at the stigma around the mental health struggles which are ravaging young people. “The Elementary Spacetime Show” is meant to be a space of transformation for young people, and the brilliant young artists at MSU are the perfect people to bring it to life.”

The musical has been developed in earlier iterations at Ars Nova, University of the Arts, NYU and New York Stage and Film.

Following the Montclair performances, the full MSU company—including student actors and musicians—will bring excerpts from the production to New York City, giving students the opportunity to share their inventive staging on one of the city’s most prominent public performance stages.