Connecting Through 'Night Side Songs'

"I never anticipated how deeply it would affect me…
terrifying,
thought-provoking, sickening, relieving, healing, and inspiring."

by Debra Woog with Maria Yunis

Susan Sontag wrote, "Illness is the 'night-side' of life." On our inaugural Crisis Navigation Partner® field trip, Maria and I attended American Repertory Theater's Night Side Songs, an innovative, communal-participation musical about palliative care and community.

The show interweaves historical stories about chemotherapy and the impact of illness with a present-day 41-year-old single woman whose personal cancer journey begins when she discovers a lump in her breast. An intimate portrayal of the provider, patient, and caregiver experiences, it emphasizes the importance of appreciating connection in every moment.

Night Side Songs is performed in a large meeting space. Three sides of chairs, on three levels of risers, face the center of the room where the Music Director sits at his piano and another person works the sound and light board. Before the show starts, bright, smiling faces welcome audience members individually, casually chatting as they distribute pamphlets of lyrics.

Soon it becomes clear that the greeters are the five Broadway-experienced performers who act, sing and play instruments throughout the production. They don't wait backstage to go "on", as the room has no formal stage. From the moment the audience enters the space, the actor-musicians are fully present. The house lights remain up even when the performance unfolds, enabling the audience and cast members to continue eye contact.

Sprinkled throughout, the performers lead the audience in call-and-response-style singing. I felt deeply touched by the collective participation, particularly the message and music of:

"I won't know what to say
but I will check in on you every day."
(Watch and listen)

The sounds, sense and sights of each voice, tear, and laugh in the room amplified the interactive, intimate quality of this extraordinary experience.

Here's Maria:

"I was stunned finding myself drawn into someone else's cancer journey—only eight months after losing my brother. All of the memories, feelings and images layered into the room for me, especially the power of the connections and the community that held us through it.

It was a powerful experience, almost as if I was sitting at her bedside as we sang one song to honor all the precious moments in life, then another to remind us that even when we don't have the words, we can be with those we love.

When I noticed Debra's tears, I put my arms around her and held her through that song. It was a sweet exchange as I remembered all the ways this dear friend had held me during some of the most painful moments of my own life."

As I listened, watched, and sang, I cried – tuning into everything Maria and her family went through recently. I understood through my body what previously I understood only through my mind.

Multiple times I noticed striking harmonies of two young men sitting behind us. When the show concluded, I complimented their lovely voices. One responded with a smile, "We know the music pretty well, 'cause we wrote it."

The beautiful tones had come from Lebanese-American brothers Daniel and Patrick Lazour, collaborators on both the book and lyrics – my new heroes of creativity. Daniel and Patrick introduced us to Taibi Magar, the show's director. The creative team expressed their hope that the show will ultimately land on Broadway. As we closed our brief conversation, Daniel, Patrick, and Taibi asked, "Please tell your friends to come."

The Boston Globe reported the brothers "sheepishly acknowledge that their new experimental musical … might be a tough sell."

"At first blush, you're like, 'A musical about cancer? Can't wait to try to sell that!' When you tell people about it, they're like, 'Oh, boy. No thank you,'" agreed the show's director Taibi Magar with a chuckle.

And then you're like, 'But it's a sing-along!' And they're like, 'Absolutely not.'

But the Lazours insist that something magical occurs when audience members move past their inhibitions and engage."

Maria and I went because we felt intrigued by the concept of art about illness and caregiving. While the subject matter directly relates to our mission as Crisis Navigation Partners®, I never anticipated how deeply it would affect me. I found this musical to be terrifying, thought-provoking, sickening, relieving, healing, and inspiring. We experienced community as we witnessed a performance about community.

Night Side Songs runs in Boston until April 20th and then goes to Worcester, MA for one night only. If you have access, we highly recommend you take the field trip.