CREDITS
A new musical song cycle conceived and directed by Devanand Janki, created in collaboration with a large team of writers and composers. Public coverage describes the piece as celebrating Diwali through a range of theatrical voices and stories. (broadwayworld.com)

DESCRI[TION
A vibrant musical song cycle celebrating Diwali through contemporary musical storytelling, South Asian voices, and a rich tapestry of stories, characters, and traditions. (broadwayworld.com)

SYNOPSIS
Songs of Light & Joy: A Diwali Celebration is a theatrical song cycle honoring the spirit of Diwali through original songs and character-driven stories. The piece brings together multiple writers and composers to explore joy, family, identity, memory, community, humor, and light through a contemporary musical theatre lens. (broadwayworld.com)

DEVELOPMENT/PRODUCTION HISTORY
BroadwayWorld coverage documented a 2024 preview presentation connected to Mile Square Theatre. (broadwayworld.com)

The full production was later presented in collaboration with NYU Steinhardt Drama Therapy and Live & In Color at Provincetown Playhouse in October 2025. Public campaign materials listed the run dates as October 9–12, 2025. 

SONGS OF LIGHT & JOY: A DIWALI CELEBRATION
Songs of Light & Joy: A Diwali Celebration is a new musical song cycle conceived and co-written by Devanand Janki in collaboration with many other writers and composers. Inspired by Diwali, the Festival of Lights, the show is a tapestry of original songs that explore family, identity, tradition, memory, humor, community, hope, and joy through a wide range of musical styles. A public preview was presented at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken in 2024, and the show later received its world premiere developmental production at Provincetown Playhouse at NYU in October 2025, presented by NYU Steinhardt Drama Therapy and Live & In Color. Public coverage describes the piece as a vibrant collaboration built from multiple voices and perspectives, honoring Diwali through both reflective ballads and lively comedy numbers.

Collaborating writers/composers include:
Ari Afsar, Timothy Huang, Trent Jeffords, Deepak Kumar, Jaime Lozano, Vaibu Mohan, Cheeyang Ng, Adam Overett, Tommy Newman, Tim Rice, Rona Siddiqui, and additional collaborators from the project’s larger writing team.