New Musical We Shall Someday Will Release Cast Album

The jazz-infused musical features a book and lyrics by Harrison David Rivers and music and lyrics by Ted Shen.

April 17, 2026 By Meg Masseron

New musical We Shall Someday will release a cast album on all streaming platforms May 1. Produced by Deborah Abramson (Maybe Happy Ending)—who also serves as music director and conductor—the album will feature orchestrations by two-time Tony Award winner Michael Starobin.

The album will include vocal performances by John Edwards (MJ: The Musical), Cole Thompson (Into the Woods), Danyel Fulton (Suffs), and Jake Loewenthal (Into the Woods).

Featuring a book and lyrics by Harrison David Rivers and music and lyrics by Ted Shen, the jazz-infused musical follows three generations of a southern Black family as they each encounter and confront acts of racial injustice in three acts. The story begins in 1961 when Julius decides to join the Freedom Rides, with the second act seeing his daughter Ruby wrestle with how to respond to her teen son, Jay, being brutally attacked by police. Act III concludes in 1992 on the heels of the Rodney King verdict with Jay, as he weighs his choice to join the movement.

The musical has been performed at Minnesota's Theater Latté Da, as a concert presentation at the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C., and at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

The album release aligns with The We Shall Someday Project’s commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides. “The Freedom Riders are part of a long and proud history of Americans courageously fighting for civil rights,” said Rivers in a statement. “We Shall Someday is both a celebration of their heroism and a reminder that the fight for human dignity is ongoing. Each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to put an end to systemic oppression and discrimination, so that all of us can live with respect and freedom.”

Visit here to pre-save the album.