Theater Review: ‘Stereophonic’ is a brilliant ‘Behind the Music’ play on Broadway

It’s July 1976 in a Northern California recording studio and the rock ‘n’ roll band cutting their latest album is exhausted and wary. David Zinn’s marvelous set, with the engineers manipulating dials and faders in the office-hangout spot, in front of a glassed-off recording space, allows for multiple conversations at once, including one intense argument completely offstage that the engineers overhear. Adjmi writes the awful, push-pull fights of couples brilliantly: “Just because I don’t unravel the thread doesn’t mean I don’t know where it is,” one women says to her partner. I can’t do both.” One of the best moments is when this dysfunctional couple are asked to harmonize together in the studio, sharing the same mic but separated by Canfield’s character.