In the heart of Midtown Manhattan, a new kind of musical is finding its voice—not through the traditional gatekeepers of Broadway, but through a grassroots surge of “radical cooperation.” As a headlining world-premiere reading at the 2026 Next Step Theatre Festival, For The Record(s) is more than just a production; it is a rhythmic megaphone for a global human rights movement.

Written and composed by Richard Uhrlaub, a 25-year veteran of legislative advocacy for adoptee rights, the musical represents a lifetime of piano, poetry, and political activism finally colliding on the stage of the Producers Club.

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The Author: From the State House to the Stage

Richard Uhrlaub’s path to the theater district was paved with decades of advocacy. As an adoption search facilitator and legislative expert, Uhrlaub has spent a quarter-century fighting for adult adoptees’ access to their original birth records.

While many have written op-eds or legal briefs on the subject, Uhrlaub felt a “muse” during the pandemic that suggested a different medium. He realized that while law can change a record, art can heal the trauma of the person behind it.

“Relinquishment and adoption are two different things,” Uhrlaub explains. “Every loving adoption story is preceded by the trauma and loss of separating a mother from her baby. One powerful song can convey poignant, uncomfortable truth and emotion in a unique way that is both accessible and authentic.”

The Production: Joshua’s Quest for Identity

The musical follows Joshua Greenman (played by Off-Broadway veteran Gabe DeRose), a man raised in a comfortable, upper-middle-class environment, blissfully unaware of his history. When the secret of his adoption unspools during a summer at sleepaway camp, Joshua’s inner world unravels.

His journey mirrors what the adoption reform community calls “coming out of the fog”—the process of moving past simplistic narratives to confront the complex, often systemic realities of a closed adoption system. The production features a powerhouse ensemble, including Paul Fraccalvieri, an adoptee himself, who brings a visceral authenticity to the stage.

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The Next Step Theatre Festival: A New Model for New York

The Next Step Theatre Festival (NSTF), running from June 8–14, 2026, serves as the perfect incubator for Uhrlaub’s debut. Built on a cooperative model where independent writers share expenses and expertise, the NSTF bypasses the typical industry “gatekeepers.”

This collaborative environment mirrors the themes of the musical itself. Just as adoptees and birth parents pool their resources to change legislation, the artists of the NSTF pool their talents to bring high-stakes, authentic storytelling to the heart of the theater district.

• Radical Cooperation: Writers-led initiatives sharing costs and visibility.
• Authentic Voice: A platform for “outside the box” stories that traditional festivals might overlook.
• Direct Access: Bringing world-premiere content directly to audiences at the Producers Club.

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PERFORMANCE DETAILS

• Show: For The Record(s) (Musical Reading)
• Composer/Lyricist: Richard Uhrlaub
• Musical Director: Dan Sander-Wells
• Orchestrator: Keaton Viavattine (Anastasia, The King and I)
• Venue: Producers Club – Grand Theater, 358 W 44th Street, NYC
• Dates:
  • Saturday, June 13 @ 7:30 PM
  • Sunday, June 14 @ 1:00 PM

The Artistic Vision

With a score that blends formalist poetic structure with the driving energy of modern musical theater, For The Record(s) aims to provide a lens into the heartfelt experiences of those touched by relinquishment. It is a story of personal discovery that inevitably becomes political—a musical fusion of legislative testimony and visceral longing.

Tickets for “For The Record(s)” are free, though reservations are highly requested. Visit www.ftrmusical.com to secure your seat for this transformative theatrical event.