Whether you are blasting off into space or battling the school cafeteria, American Repertory Theater’s (ART) premiere musical Wonder, directed by Taibi Magar and based on the similarly titled novel by R.J. Palacio and Lionsgate and Mandeville film, reminds audiences that when presented with the option between being right and being kind, choose kind.
The stellar musical adaptation features a score by Grammy Award-winning duo A Great Big World and book by Sarah Ruhl, bringing Palacio’s beloved best-selling children’s novel to life on the stage of Harvard University’s Loeb Drama Center.
Wonder follows August “Auggie” Pullman and his family as he transitions from being homeschooled his whole life to navigating seventh grade amongst bullying due to his facial difference, known as Treacher Collins syndrome or mandibulofacial dysostosis, a rare genetic disorder affecting the development of one’s facial features. Through celebrating the power of choosing kindness, Wonder embraces prioritizing empathy and authenticity when finding one’s identity.
Learning Lab lead Vahdat Yeganeh returned to Malden High School on January 16th to immerse students in the first Levine Learning Lab workshop for the penultimate show in ART’s 2025-2026 season. Students explored the complexities of friendship by building and listing the qualities of their ideal imaginary best friend and reflecting on how realistic it’d be to adhere to such characteristicsin their own relationships.
Heeding the workshop’s lessons, Malden Learning Lab students joined two other high schools apart of ART’s Levine Learning Lab, Boston Green Academy and Boston International Academy, on January 20th to participate in the traditional pre-show workshop and viewing of Wonder.
The workshop consisted of students creating and performing adaptations of their own principles, a synonym for motto used repeatedly in the show. “I think it prepared us for the show by letting us expand our imagination and how to make it come to life. I’m glad we had this experience because it opened my eyes,” Boston Green Academy student Leilani Ruiz conveyed.
Students had the honor of being joined by Max Voehl at the workshop, one of the double-cast actors who plays Auggie alongside Garrett McNally. Both Voehl and McNally have facial differences like Auggie’s, highlighting how the musical adaptation prioritized authenticity in not only the storytelling but in the casting as well.
“I think that the active choice of making sure they cast an actor with facial differences to play Auggie instead of using any SFX makeup as they had in the movies was really important, giving a role like that to an actor that actually has facial differences stands with the meaning behind the show,” senior Moisha Howse reflected.
Auggie is extremely well-versed in astronomy and science; the fascination materializes in both the astronaut helmet he uses to shield his insecurity and the presence of his imaginary astronaut friend, Moon Boy, who often speaks and sings for Auggie throughout the show to reflect his mental escape to space when life on land becomes overbearing.
Moon Boy narrates the introduction of the opening number “3-2-1 Blast Off!” by warning audiences to prepare for takeoff as he flies down onto stage. Auggie and his rocketship bed join him in flight as the pair performs the duet. The revolving stage soon reveals the company of Wonder clad in celestial attire, synchronously dancing to the lively song.
Auggie introduces himself as a typical kid in “Ordinary”, listing his common interests like video games, such as Minecraft and movies such as Star Wars. Auggie’s mother proposes that he go to school to expand his learning and socialize with kids his age, debunking Auggie’s claim of being ordinary by telling him, “you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”
The Pullman family drops Auggie off at Beecher Prep, where he is assigned the welcoming committee consisting of his new peers, Charlotte, Jack, and Julian. The revolving stage rotates to change classroom settings in “Precepts” where each class has a “motto for the life we lead.”
In his first day of class, Auggie starts getting picked on by Julian and Amos, shattering any confidence Auggie had on his first day. Back home, his mother consoles him and reminds him “what a wonder you are” in the heartfelt rendition of “You Are Beautiful”.
Wonder reflects the difficulty of navigating judgment from one’s peers in middle school: “The minute they said that they were in seventh grade, everything just clicked, because disrespectfully, seventh grade was the worst year of my life, and usually for most middle schoolers. There’s just something about seventh grade that makes people evil creatures,” sophomore Minerva Davenport added.
Gathering the courage to return to school, Auggie finds a fast friendship with Jack after he defends him for being called a teacher’s pet due to his intelligence. The pair becomes inseparable in “Best Friends”, the Pullman family rejoicing on Auggie finally finding a compassionate friend.
Shifting the perspective, Auggie’s older sister Olivia “Via” Pullman narrates how she has always been overlooked by her family in “Around the Sun,” depicting how she and her family are planets orbiting around the sun, Auggie.
“It’s Halloween” introduces Auggie’s favorite holiday, where he can embrace being different without being treated as such, the students of Beecher Prep rejoicing in the festivities with extravagant Halloween costumes and the repeating phrase in the song “weird is awesome.”
Auggie’s spirits are soon defeated as he secretly overhears his friend Jack insulting him with Julian, ending Act I with “Black Hole” reflecting the depths of Auggie’s insecurities and desire to be accepted by his peers.
Charlotte begins Act II by gossiping in “You Didn’t Hear That from Me” about how Auggie has not been in school since Halloween, causing Jack to reflect on how his words and the actions of his classmates hurt Auggie in “Choose Kind”, rekindling their friendship.
“The first half of the show ended very sad, and after intermission the play livened up with the songs about kindness and being confident in one’s self, like ‘Choose Kind.’ It was a good way to lighten the mood; it was all rainbows and butterflies and brought so much happiness to me,” senior Julia Cardoso shared.
A fight ensues in “This is War” as Jack has had enough of Julian’s comments and defends Auggie. As Julian’s suspension for bullying lingers, the school principal reminds his arrogant mother, trying to defend his actions, that she is lacking empathy in “Change The Way We See”.
Following the conflict, the school goes on a nature retreat where Auggie and Jack are threatened by older kids in the woods, his classmates who were originally against him coming to his aid and defending Auggie in “Stare”, a powerful song where Auggie accepts his differences and becomes united with his peers.
“One In A Million” depicts Auggie being recognized for his bravery at Beecher Prep’s end of the year award ceremony, where his acceptance speech about embracing what makes him different receives a standing ovation. The musical ends with the company taking various pictures at the award ceremony, contrasting Auggie’s initial hatred of having his picture taken and displaying his growth.
The cast of Wonder consists primarily of children, and Play Production teacher Ariana Messana voiced, “As a teacher, it was so overwhelmingly exciting to see young people getting into theater. The vocal talent on these kids is insane, and genuinely just seeing all of this hard work being put in from both the actors and the tech team is so exciting to see this new adaptation taking the stage and hopefully taking a bigger stage on Broadway one day.”
Wonder highlights the importance of friendship and empathy, emphasizing that through the power of kindness, the world can be a more accepting and better place. The premiere musical is an out-of-this-world experience that is a wonder to those graced by seeing it.
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