‘Wonder’ — Book by Sarah Ruhl. Music and lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). Directed by Taibi Magar. Choreographed by Katie Spelman. Music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo. Presented by American Repertory Theater at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through Feb. 8.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Middle school is widely recognized as one of life’s toughest crucibles, a time of major physical, emotional and social change. A petri dish of hormonal upheaval, intense social pressures and increased academic demands, it has all the ingredients for an emotive perfect storm.

Now imagine navigating these turbulent waters as a boy with facial differences facing transition from homeschooling to private school, where he will, for the first time, have to mix with other kids, and that perfect storm suddenly lurks as a tsunami of epic proportions.

This is the premise of Wonder, the new coming-of-age musical drama débuting at American Repertory Theater. Based on R.J. Palacio’s best-selling 2012 young adult novel, Sarah Ruhl’s play tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that interferes with the development of facial features.

Read more “A.R.T.’s Uplifting ‘Wonder’ Wonders What Makes A Life Wonderful”