Playbill UniverseThe Verdict: Critics Review Coming-of-Age Rocket Musical October SkyAdapted from the 1999 film with Jake Gyllenhaal, October Sky is a new musical about boys, rockets and big dreams. Following previews that began Aug. 19, the world premiere officially opened at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, IL, Aug 26.
Based on the film, as well as the book "Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam, Jr., October Sky is written by Aaron Thielen, with music and lyrics by Michael Mahler. It follows a teenage boy living in a small, coal-mining town and his determination to not end up like the generations before him. With his friends, they build homemade rockets and release them, along with their dreams and aspirations, into the sky.
The critics have filed their reviews, and Playbill.com has collected them for our readers. Playbill.com will continue to update our list as the reviews come in.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.