Saturday, Jul 25 at 4:00 pm @ Symphonic Hall at Marist University
Saturday, Jul 25, 2026, at 4:00 pm
Murray Student Center 3399 North Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
$50
Experience the next chapter of BOOM FOR REAL before anyone else! Hear never-before-heard demos by John Legend, see selected scenes from the musical, and join Obie Award-winning writer Marcus Gardley (The Color Purple, 2023) for a behind-the-scenes look at this highly anticipated musical about Jean-Michel Basquiat.
BOOM FOR REAL Music by John Legend Book by Marcus Gardley Directed by Kamilah Forbes
BOOM FOR REAL is a new musical that tracks the meteoric rise and mysterious spirit of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the Brooklyn-born artist who became one of the most celebrated painters of the twentieth century. When Basquiat dies young, his soul is left unmoored — bound to this world by his father’s unspoken grief — and the only way forward is a negotiation with Baron Samedi himself. Part elegy, part mystery, and part celebration, the show asks what it means to be chosen, to be seen, and to finally let go. With music and lyrics by John Legend, BOOM FOR REAL is a love letter to genius, to Black art, and to the radical act of mourning out loud.
BOOM FOR REAL is presented in cooperation with The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Significant supported from Ina Meibach and Barbara Manocherian, and additional support from Nick Daly.
Preferable way to purchase your tickets is in-person at the Bardavon or Ulster Performing Arts box office.
You may also buy online at Ticketmaster.com (Ticketmaster fees will apply). Please note that Bardavon Member benefits and special discounts are not available through Ticketmaster.
To all ticket buyers: Please be aware that there are an increasing number of secondary outlets selling tickets at inflated prices as well as other scams that we cannot control. The Bardavon/UPAC box offices and Ticketmaster are the only official sources for tickets for our events.
Purchase tickets over the phone, get early access to pre-sales, and more when you become a Bardavon Member. Learn more by calling our box office today!