Ellis Island was the gateway to America – a land of opportunity for some, a land of exclusion for others. 5,000 immigrants a day passed through this "Island of Hope, Island of Tears." Packed into the steerage of steamships, they left their homelands with few possessions but a wealth of hope, promise and music. Steerage Song is a musical kaleidoscope of their journey to America.
Creators Peter Rothstein and Dan Chouinard have developed this docu-musical, blending the songs of 20 countries of Old Europe and the rhythms of Tin Pan Alley into a moving, fully-staged, new musical.