Pushcart Players, New Jersey’s Emmy-nominated professional touring theater company for young audiences, presents A More Perfect Union, a spirited folk musical exploring the people and events that led to the writing and signing of the United States Constitution. The production is available for performances touring from October 2026 through June 2027.
As part of Pushcart Players’ commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, A More Perfect Union brings the founding of the United States to life through music, dance, storytelling, and theater. The production follows four characters (Benjamin, Rebecca, Luke, and Abby) as they experience pivotal moments in early American history, including the Boston Tea Party, Shays’ Rebellion, and the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Along the way, young audiences are introduced to the challenges faced by a fledgling nation and the people who helped shape its future.
“This production personally gives me a perspective,” said Ellen Beattie, Director of Education and Outreach, “about who we are now as a fragile country and who we can be again. The turmoil in creating the Constitution is similar to events we are experiencing now.”
With authentic period folk songs combined with original music, lively choreography, and innovative scenery and costumes, A More Perfect Union gives students an engaging introduction to American history while encouraging them to consider their own role as members of their present-day communities. Following the performance, students have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session with the cast. A study guide and supplemental educational materials accompany the production.
Music and orchestrations are by Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator Larry Hochman, the book is by Pushcart co-founders Ruth Fost and Carole Wechter, and the production is directed by Producing Artistic Director Paul Whelihan. Hochman won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for The Book of Mormon and has received numerous additional Tony nominations for his work on Broadway.
The 2026–2027 cast features Joz McCaw, Danny Sims, William Sandoval, and Phebe Taylor.
Joz McCaw is making her inaugural season with Pushcart Players as Abby in A More Perfect Union. Her stage credits include Hair: The Musical, The Amen Corner, and Thank You for Your Service. A graduate of the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, American Conservatory Theater, the University of Pennsylvania, and the United States Military Academy at West Point, McCaw is also a U.S. Army combat veteran who recently transitioned to professional acting.
Danny Sims is a New Jersey-based actor, director, creative artist, and teaching artist. A graduate of Montclair State University’s Department of Theatre & Dance, he has performed throughout New Jersey and has worked as a teaching artist with Pushcart Players and other arts organizations. Danny currently serves as the Director of Creative Vision for The Actors Studio of NJ, a non profit professional theatre company dedicated to exceptional theatrical experiences. His Pushcart credits include Stone Soup & Other Stories, The Velveteen Rabbit, A More Perfect Union, A Season of Miracles, and Kalien the Alien.
William Sandoval, a graduate of Centenary University, has worked professionally as a performer and director throughout New Jersey and New York City since 1999. He has received several NJACT nominations and won the 2015 Perry Award for Outstanding Direction of an Original Play. His performing credits include The Addams Family, The Wedding Singer, In the Heights, Hairspray, and Avenue Q. He is also a professional content creator, videographer, and producer.
Phebe Taylor, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, has been a Pushcart Player since 2004. Her regional credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Peter Pan, Urinetown, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Peter and the Starcatcher, and numerous productions with the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company. Taylor also owns “The Museum of Nostalgia,” a vintage toy store in Astoria, NY.
A More Perfect Union is available for live performances for elementary and middle school audiences throughout the 2026–2027 school year.
For more information about A More Perfect Union, Pushcart Players’ 2026–2027 season, or booking information, contact Pushcart Players at 973.857.1115 or visit www.pushcartplayers.org.
Photo Credit: Essex Photo