Brian Quijada's New Musical 'Somewhere Over the Border' Heads Into Casting at Playhouse On Park in Connecticut

A vivid and deeply personal new musical is heading into casting and pre-production in Connecticut, and it is one that working theatre professionals in the Northeast will want on their radar well ahead of its rehearsal start. Somewhere Over the Border, written and composed by Brian Quijada and inspired by his mother's real-life journey from El Salvador to the United States, is set to rehearse and perform at Playhouse On Park in West Hartford, Connecticut, with additional performances in Simsbury, CT. Casting is currently underway through HDB Casting, with production beginning December 29, 2026, giving actors, music directors, choreographers, and stage production crew a meaningful runway to pursue this opportunity now.

Brian Quijada is a Chicago-rooted multidisciplinary theatre artist who has built a reputation for work that is formally inventive, culturally specific, and musically alive. His solo show peerless (not to be confused with the Jiehae Park play of the same name) and his acclaimed one-man piece Where Did We Sit on the Bus established him as a singular voice in American theatre, someone who can hold an audience through pure storytelling momentum and musical intelligence. With Somewhere Over the Border, Quijada expands his canvas considerably, telling his mother Reina's story through a rich tapestry of cumbia, mariachi, bolero, rock, and hip hop, with onstage musicians threading together reality, memory, and fantasy in a structure that deliberately evokes L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is a show that will require a cast comfortable moving across genre and style with genuine fluency, and a music team that can hold the dramaturgy of a live band environment.

Directing the production is Irvin Mason Jr., a theatre director with roots in both regional theatre and new work development whose experience with ensemble-driven, music-forward productions makes him a strong fit for this material. Playhouse On Park's leadership team, Co-Artistic Directors Sasha Brätt and Darlene Zoller alongside Executive Director and Founder Tracy Flater, rounds out the creative leadership. Casting is being handled by Holly Buczek at HDB Casting, which operates out of New York and is the primary contact point listed for casting submissions. Performers based in New York or Connecticut should make note of Buczek's involvement and reach out through appropriate channels now, given that this production is actively seeking talent.

Playhouse On Park is a professional regional theatre and LORT-adjacent company based in West Hartford, Connecticut, that has developed a strong track record for producing new musicals and plays with genuine ambition relative to its size. The company operates in a vibrant cultural corridor that includes Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford, and draws from both the Connecticut regional talent pool and the New York professional community. West Hartford itself offers reasonable proximity to New York City (roughly two hours by train or car), making it an accessible posting for New York-based artists willing to work regionally. The Simsbury performances noted in the production data suggest a touring or co-production component that may expand the run's footprint beyond the West Hartford home base.

For crew and production staff, the format signals a show with considerable musical complexity. Onstage musicians integrated into the dramatic action typically require a music director with strong collaborative instincts, a sound designer experienced in live amplification of mixed acoustic and amplified ensembles, and a scenic and lighting team comfortable building a world that can hold fantasy, memory, and gritty border-crossing realism within the same visual vocabulary. The Wizard of Oz parallel embedded in the story's architecture also hints at design opportunities that reward imagination. This is not a bare-stage minimalist piece. Costume, scenic, and lighting designers who specialize in new musicals with cultural specificity will find this material compelling. Stage management teams experienced in musical rehearsal processes, including band calls and sitzprobes, should also be watching this listing closely.

With rehearsals beginning December 29, 2026, and performances running through February 14, 2027, department heads and key creatives are likely being approached now, and ensemble casting will follow as the creative team assembles. The New York location listed in the production data reflects the casting office's base of operations, reinforcing that auditions are expected to draw from the New York talent pool. The full listing for Somewhere Over the Border on ProductionList.com includes production contacts, office information, and crew details that will be updated as the production advances through pre-production. If this project is the kind of new musical work you want to be part of, the time to make contact is before the slots are filled, not after. Check the listing, follow the casting news through HDB Casting, and get your materials in front of the right people while the process is still open.

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