A family is reunited by music in “Beau the Musical”

How much can families whose history is built on fiction call themselves families? Where and how can forgiveness be achieved? And what kind of legacies can be passed on? Those are some of the questions posed by playwright-lyricist Douglas Lyons and composers Lyons and Ethan D. Pakchar in Beau the Musical, playing at off-Broadway’s Theatre 154 on Christopher St., in New York City. Working out the answers is part of the fun of the show.

Beau the Musical is the story of Ace Baker (Matt Rodin), a young gay country rock star from Nashville, Tennessee. He has been raised by his single mother Raven (Amelia Cormack), never knowing anything about the father who deserted them before he was born, or about Raven’s family,  about whom she will not speak. All that Ace knows about himself for sure is that he is attracted to men — and when you’re 11 in Nashville, that makes you a target for bullies like Ace’s classmate Ferris (understudy Seth Eliser).

A phone call from a Memphis hospital reveals Ace’s grandfather, who he was told was dead, is very much alive but ill. Ace, after confronting his mother and getting no answers, runs off to the hospital and meets his “pop pop” Beau Johnson (Chris Blisset), a former rock musician. The two form a tentative bond, and when Ace returns home, he wears Raven down until she consents to his visiting Beau over the summer — but neither Raven nor Beau will tell Ace why they don’t speak to each other.

During that first summer, Ace finds Beau’s old guitar, “Loretta,” gathering dust in a closet. Beau plays Ace a song he wrote at the boy’s birth, and Ace becomes determined to learn how to play. Over the next few years, Beau becomes the father figure Ace has needed, teaching him about being a good man and a decent human being.

Returning to Nashville, Ace deals with his mother’s developing relationship with her latest boyfriend, Larry (Matt Wolpe), whom he resents. Ace also deals with Ferris, who still bullies him in public — but makes out with him in private. 

With the exception of Blisset, the cast doubles as Ace’s band, yet all the actors prove to be skilled musicians as well. Under Josh Rhodes’ direction, the cast did their best with Lyons’ book, but even the driving score could not cover some of the plot holes in the story. As for that score, while there are a few really good songs — for example, the opening number, “Pop Pop Beau,” sung by Ace and his band; “By Your Side,” the song Beau wrote at Ace’s birth; and the elegiac “Thursday in July” — there are still some that could make a stronger impression in relating the story and illuminating the characters.

For a show that’s been in development for the last seven years, Beau the Musical still needs work to be the fine musical tale it could be. It’s exciting to see a musical with more potential at this point. And you’ll have a rockin’ good time if you head on down to the Village to catch Beau the Musical!

Beau the Musical is presented by Out of the Box Theatrics at Theatre 154, 154 Christopher St., in New York, through Aug. 3, 2025. The theatre is roughly a half block west of the Christopher Street PATH station and a block and a half east of Rockbar. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to beauthemusical.com.