Wonder

Book by Sarah Ruhl
Music and Lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel & Chad King)
Based on the novel “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio and the Lionsgate and Mandeville film Wonder
Music Supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo
Choreography by Katie Spelman
Directed by Taibi Magar

January 14, 2026: Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cast

Mr. Tushman – Melvin Abston
Jack – Donovan Louis Bazemore
Justin – Diego Cordova
Via – Kaylin Hedges
Summer – Kylie MiRae Kuioka
Mr. Browne – Raymond J. Lee
Julian – Reese Lvvine
Isable – Alison Luff
Charlotte – Skylar Matthews
Augie – Garret McNally (Note: McNally rotates with Max Voehl in this role)
Nate – Javier Muñoz
Miranda – Paravi
Moon Boy – Nathan Salstone
Ms. Petosa, Mrs. Albans – Pearl Sun
Amos – Nicholas Trupia
Ensemble – Ryan Behan, Maddy Le

Based on the novel by R.J. Palacio and its movie adaptation, Wonder is a story about Auggie, a boy with a facial difference due to Treacher Collins syndrome. Auggie is home-schooled throughout his childhood to accommodate his frequent surgeries, but entering 7th grade his parents enroll him in a nearby private school.  The show follows Auggie through his first year of middle school as he experiences bullying at the hands of children (and their parents!) but also forms his first friendship with a boy named Jack. The large cast includes several characters whose lives intersect with Auggie’s with the biggest subplot for his older sister Via. With the attention focused on Auggie, Via feels overlooked which proves especially challenging in this school year when her best friend Miranda mysteriously stops talking to her.

This production has a strong cast with Garret McNally taking the lead as Auggie on the night of this performance.  I was particularly impressed with Donovan Louis Bazemore, Kaylin Hedges, Alison Luff, and Skylar Matthews. The set is well-designed with a pixelated them resembling Minecraft and a rotating stage that allows smooth transitions between scenes. Which leads us with the songs and the plot.

This show has a lot of musical numbers and I think the composing duo of Ian Axel & Chad King could work on paring down the songs and focusing on making a few great ones.  It seems like every character comes out to sing a solo or duet about their life which makes the show feel choppy and episodic.  It also overshadows the main character Auggie who does not have a big musical number. There’s a character called Moon Boy – a man in a spacesuit – who is something like Auggie’s imaginary friend or inner courage, who appears periodically and sings a few numbers.  But Moon Boy feels like an awkward addition to the story and fails to center Auggie in the narrative.

I’ve read that the original book and movie (which I haven’t read or watched) have been criticized by disability activists as “inspiration porn.”  Unfortunately, the musical has an after-school special feel to it where Auggie is merely an inspiration to everyone around him rather than exploring his experience and interior life.  The message of the show is “Be Kind,” – something I agree with – but in the year 2026 of times it feels insufficient to just say it.  This is disappointing because as I said this is an excellent cast and I feel they’re working hard to try to make something great with weak material. This review from the New England Theater Geek has more on why Wonder doesn’t quite succeed.

You can judge for yourself if I’m being too harsh on this new musical, which continues at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge through February 15.