John & Jen

The Stoneham Theatre presents John & Jen, music by Andrew Lippa and Book by Tom Greenwald. Called ‘a powerful family affair’ by The Post-Star (NY), John & Jen is a touching musical journey back to the turbulent 1960s. In the spirit of television shows like The Wonder Years and American Dreams, this musical travels with two boys named John — ­ one a soldier in the rice patties of Vietnam and one a young boy facing the challenges of growing up in a changing world ­ along with Jen, the girl who connects their lives across the decades. Scott Edmiston directs.

Lippa, the musical’s composer, is a Grammy nominee and has received a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and ASCAP’s Richard Rodgers/New Horizon’s Award. He contributed three new songs to the Broadway version of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and wrote The Wild Party which received its premiere in 2000.