Atlanta's Alliance Theatre will give a world premiere to the musical Like Father, written by Jacob Ryan Smith and Caroline Pernick. Performances will begin on the company's Hertz Stage in October, with specific dates to be announced. Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden will direct.

Described in press notes as a "coming-of-age musical," the work follows a 17-year-old girl who moves in with her estranged mother and stepfather following the arrest of her father, and as a hit true crime podcast sets to expose all of her family's secrets to the world.

The musical was the winner of the inaugural Open Jar Musical Shark Tank, and was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O'Neill New Music Theater Festival. The project already has a full team of commercial producers attached, led by Howard Alter, Zachary Hausman, and Madison Thompson; and also including co-producers Caryl & Kendrick Smith, City Cowboy Productions, Fahs Productions, Happy Recap Productions, Jonathan & Rae Corr, Kerri Mandelbaum, and Steven N. Lerner.

Alliance's production will feature choreography by Dell Howlett and music direction by Alejandro Senior. The creative team will also include assistant director Rachel Sabo-Hedges, associate music director Adam Beskind, and dramaturg Amanda Watkins. Casting, to be announced, is by TRC Company's Kevin Metzger-Timson and Frankie Ramirez.

“At its core, Like Father is about learning to live beyond the shadows we inherit—a journey through grief, forgiveness, and the radical act of reclaiming your own name,” says Kajese-Bolden in a statement. “It’s a surprising, darkly funny, deeply human story that speaks to so many of us reckoning with the weight of our histories and the hope of transformation. New work like this needs room to take risks, and regional theatres are where those stories are given oxygen; I’m thrilled to work alongside artists and producing partners with an unflinching belief in bold, emotionally intelligent storytelling, and proud that the Alliance is a national home where artists are trusted to push boundaries, deepen our empathy, and imagine what’s possible."

Season tickets to Alliance's 2026-2027 season will go on sale in March. Individual tickets will become available in May. Visit AllianceTheatre.org.