Review: The Heart

Review of the Sunday, October 25, 2026 preview performance at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York City. Starring Heidi Blickenstaff, Lincoln Clauss, Nick T. Daly, Drew Gheling, Bre Jackson, Jaoquina Kalukango, Max McKenna, Wren Rivera and Jason Tam. Book and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan. Music and lyrics by Ann and Ian Eisendrath. Scenic design by Richard Brill. Video design by Lucy Mackinnon. Costume design by Sarafina Bush. Lighting design by Amanda Zieve. Sound design by Gareth Owen. Music direction by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett. Choreography by Mandy Moore. Direction by Christopher Ashley. 90 minutes, no intermission.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½⭐

What happens when a hopeful young man tragically loses his life, when decisions must be made under the stress of grief, and when the luck of the draw determines who lives and who dies? Who knew a medical drama could make for such a riveting musical? Well, The Heart  is just that and much, much more. In 90 hold-on-to-your-seats minutes the show, with a tight book by Kait Kerrigan and bop filled EDM score by Ann and Ian Eisendrath, takes us on a 24 hour journey from profound tragedy to uplifting hope that is heartbreaking and heartwarming and everything in between. Equal parts Next to Normal and Come From Away, The Heart is in rarified company in the 21st century musical theater canon.

So wonderfully put together, it is hard to pinpoint exactly where the directing, choreography and technical elements start and stop. Christopher Ashley's gift for making every second count, but never at the expense of emotion, is on full display here. Save for a rare transition where the cast breakers the fourth wall to give us transplant statistics, even the most medical of moments is electrically charged with purpose and drive. Mandy Moore's dance moves are spot on when the music throbs during a pair of club scenes, as one might expect, but there aren't really any dance numbers (thank goodness) to take us out of the tension. Yet, her fingerprints are all over this piece, as computer consoles, gurneys, and various pieces of medical equipment become dance partners for the doctors, nurses and support staff and move as one to get the job done. The transplant process requires a relentless, no-time-to-think precision, and so Ashley and Moore have staged every second of this with that in mind.

Next level video design by Lucy Mackinnon provides insight not only into the moods of the show, but also frequent looks at the medical aspects of what is happening. Charts, graphs, EKG readouts and CAT scan imagery are informative, yet feel poignant and thrilling just the same. An ever present digital clock provides an urgency, and sometimes, an ominous reminder that life is precious every single second. Amanda Zieve's lighting design not only compliments the visuals, but also takes on a life of its own, bringing scientific sterility and gut-wrenching humanity together in a way that never lets us forget that medicine is wonderful, perilous and ultimately, humanity encapsulated. All of this takes place on Robert Brill's staging platform set, a no-frills - wonderfully so - a platform that reminded me of the epic ancient Greek theater amped up for the 21st century. That sums it up perfectly: for all of this show's considerable technical prowess, none of it gets in the way of the most important thing, the human element. 

The powerhouse cast of nine slips in and out of their multitudes of characters with ease (and aided by the quick-change costume designs of Sarafina Bush), and manage clear distinctions sometimes with just a few lines. As Simon, the tragic figure in the center of it all, Nick T. Daly impressed with his ability to emote through a lot of simple observations of what is happening to his body. He has a nice singing voice and blends especially well with Jason Tam, who plays his grieving and somewhat absent father, during the song "Dawn Patrol," a sort of reverie about their common bond over surfing. Simon's mother, a strong (though at times fragile) woman faced with impossible choices, is played by Joaquina Kalukango with heartbreaking sorrow. Her ache is palpable in the far reaches of the theater, and she is simply brilliant in the penultimate gut-punch that is "Marianne's Dream." When I tell you that tears poured forth... Finally, as Simon's girlfriend, an electronica DJ, Max McKenna offers a tearful goodbye in the song "Drift Away," which uses her world of EDM as a metaphor for the stages of grief she is going through. That song also serves as a thematic explanation for the style of music employed throughout the show.

Integral to the whole thing is the medical staff, including the heart surgeon who has built up a wall of sorts by joking his way through the day. Always reliable Drew Gheling plays this role with his patented charm, and is really most surprising when the surgery begins and he is sharply focused and deadly serious. As the patient/transplant liaison, Lincoln Clauss charms us with his entrance - at home singing an operatic aria clad in a towel-turban a la Norma Desmond, and impresses with his compassionate and determined demeanor as his walks the tightrope that means life for many people or their death if he can't convince the parents to donate their young son's organs. Edgy and ultra modern, Wren Rivera is funny in her off-hours gamer mode, and awe-inspiring as she uses those skills when she literally flips a switch as the donor liaison, matching organs with patients. Her "Strike the Match" is a thrilling moment. In what may be a star-making performance, Bre Jackson nearly steals the show with her warmth and benevolence as the care nurse in charge of keeping Simon's body in working order. When she sings to him and talks to him, and takes good care of his parents, it makes the coldest of hearts melt.

Finally, there is Heidi Blickenstaff who plays two central (and opposing) roles. First, as the no-nonsense (one might say cold) ER doctor, she is maddeningly focused and has little time for anything remotely touchy-feely. Of course, it becomes obvious that this is her protective gear - one gets the sense that earlier in her career she let the tragedies affect her... a lot. Second, she is Claire, the recipient, who when we meet her is celebrating her 50th birthday by deciding she's had enough and wants off the transplant list, much to the horror of her friends and family. All of this comes out in a disturbing and powerful number, "No One Gets Out Alive." Then she gets the call, and the race begins. Ms. Blickenstaff is really perfect in both roles and her bold singing style fits both characters like a glove.

When all is said and done, I hope history will look back on this brave show for being a new step forward in the evolution of musicals. Much has been said, and will be I'm sure, about how the music is all pre-recorded (programmed is the better term). But the bigger story here is how exactly perfect the music and EDM genre is so truly perfect for this show. There are pulses and beeps that match the sounds of a hospital and of a heart; there is a harmony between technology and all that makes us human. (The catchy "Keep Up" is a terrific example of just that.) Here, the possibilities are on the right track, I think, where computers aren't taking over, but are amplifying what we can do. And I'd be remiss not to mention the integral work of Wendy Bobbitt Cavett, the musical director, who is manually hitting each programming cue while conducting the vocalists. What an amazing job she does here. Brava!

The combination of acting, staging and design here are nearly flawless, but this is one of those rare shows where I wish there was just a little more. The characters (and there are many) in Kerrigan's book are all sharply drawn and are, to a person, interesting. So it must have been pretty tough to decide what to cut and what to keep. True to its subject matter, there is almost an almost surgical precision to it. While it perfectly brings the dozens of people that by necessity do their singular job and move out of the way for the next participant, there were more than a few characters I would have liked to spend a few more minutes with. A small quibble when considering that this is the best new musical of this young season. 

📸: J. Marcus