“1972”: the rock opera by Dispatch’s Chadwick Stokes and Jessie Nelson gets its world premiere at American Repertory Theater

American Repertory Theater has revealed the full cast for the world premiere of the rock opera “1972”, as BroadwayWorld reports. The work was written by musician-activist Chadwick Stokes, frontman of the Boston indie groups Dispatch and State Radio, together with Tony-nominated creator Jessie Nelson.

The show will be performed as a “staged concert” at Harvard’s Farkas Hall, from October 27 to November 22, 2026, with its official opening on November 1 and press opening on November 4, according to BroadwayWorld. In the cast, Stokes himself plays the role of Depot; the performers include Darren Buck, Jackera Davis, Hannah Foxman, Britney King, JR King, Gracie McGraw — the daughter of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — Darby Patterson, Will Urmston and others.

The story: in 1972, a pregnant Hannah flees an abusive relationship and finds unexpected companionship with three strangers traveling America’s trains, running from their own ghosts. After narrowly escaping an illegal abortion, she meets “the Janes” — the secret network of women who risked everything to offer choices to women with no way out. The work is inspired by the true stories of those hidden heroes, BroadwayWorld writes, and “fuels the ongoing fight for personal freedom”.

The artistic team: choreography by Jill Johnson, set design by Drama Desk nominee Amy Rubin, costumes by Drama Desk winner Nicole Jescinth Smith, lighting by Tony nominee Ben Stanton, sound by Tony nominee Justin Stasiw, according to BroadwayWorld. Selected performances will be followed by “Act II” talks with civic leaders, scholars and activists — including members of the original Jane collective — and Harvard’s Schlesinger Library will mount pop-up exhibitions with archival material from the early ’70s.