NEW YORK – Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company will open its 2025 annual tour with "Home Sweet Home, or A Life In New York," a rip-roaring original musical which tells a story of a young orphan, born in America but longing to understand his roots, as deportations shake the lives of his immigrant friends. Book, lyrics and direction are by Crystal Field, Artistic Director of Theater for the New City (TNC).
TNC's Street Theater has impacted generations of audiences, encouraging the younger generation to make a difference in their own neighborhoods. Productions have celebrated the diversity of our heritage, the strength of our citizens, and the optimistic hope for a successful road to their future. This year's play is a story of a young man, an orphan seeking his family roots, at a time when many of his friends are being deported. He was born in America but he knows in his heart that he has a kinship to his fellow young New Yorkers who are suffering greatly and whose sense of security is greatly threatened. He dreams of his desire to become a teacher. In his dream, the Statue of Liberty rises up and embraces him. She reaches out to call out to his friends who hang onto her skirt as the waters of the ocean pull them away.
The owner of the local bodega, where the young man works, is an emigre from Guyana who had proudly obtained his citizenship 20 years ago. Every Sunday morning he plays chess with his friend, the local Firefighter from the Firehouse next door. Together, the two men take the Young Man under their wing and help him find his roots. They sing of fighting fires throughout history (Slavery! Fascism! Atomic War!). Now our beloved Nation suffers immigrant deportation. They summon Lady Liberty and plead for her aid. Lady Liberty appears surrounded by native New Yorkers who support her and guide her new-found children to safety. The musical score includes bold songs like "Pilgrims to the Present" and "We Fight Fire," culminating in "Together at Last," a hopeful finale that celebrates unity, diversity, and the dream of a just future.
The production will be staged with an elaborate assemblage of trap doors, giant puppets, smoke machines, masks, original choreography and a huge (9′ x 12′) running screen or "cranky" providing continuous moving scenery behind the actors. The company of 22 actors, ten crew members, two stage managers, three assistant directors and five live musicians (led by the composer at the keyboard) will share the challenge of performing outside and holding a large, non-captive audience. The music will vary in style from Bossa Nova to Hip Hop to Musical Comedy to classical Cantata. The play is a bouncy joyride through the undulations of the body politic, with astute commentary couched in satire, song and slapstick.
TNC's free Street Theater productions are delightfully suited for family audiences, since complex social issues are often presented through children's allegories, with children and neighborhood people as the heroes.
Michael David Gordon heads the cast of 22 as the Bodega Owner. The five-piece band is led by composer Peter Dizozza.
Theater for the New City has mounted a new musical for a five borough tour each year since 1976. In 2020, in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, TNC's Street Theater production, "Liberty or Just Us: a City Park Story," was an oratorio that live streamed for an eight week, 14 performance run. Each performance paid tribute to the park or other location it had been originally scheduled for. The popular tradition returned to live, in-person performances the following year.
