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⚽ A Contemporary Pop Musical ⚽

CHALO!

A Soccer Musical

Book, Music & Lyrics by Reva Sangal & Avery Powers

Discover the Story ★ Hear the Music ♪

About

Chalo! A Soccer Musical is a pop musical with book, music and lyrics by Reva Sangal and Avery Powers.

It follows the story of Asha Gupta, a young Indian-American girl, balancing a double life. Asha wants to appease her mother's wish for a doctor daughter, while secretly pursuing her own dream of playing soccer professionally.

Throughout high school, Asha has been working her way up the varsity soccer team. Now, in her senior year, she is finally ready for the coveted D1 scholarship. Asha hopes that acquiring the top scholarship would change her mother's tune.

Unfortunately for our Asha, everything changes when soccer superstar and senior transfer, Nikki Shay, joins the team.

Our story

Chalo! A Soccer Musical first came to life as a class assignment. Simple: write a conditional short story. But Reva and Avery couldn't stop at short. The soccer field became a stage, the characters demanded songs, and the enemies-to-lovers tension refused to resolve in just a few pages.

From Northwestern University workshops to the stage of Chicago's legendary Goodman Theatre, the show has grown production by production—each iteration sharper, louder, more alive than the last.

What began as a school project is now a full-blown pop musical with Bollywood beats, punk anthems, and an audience that leaves humming for weeks.

See the full journey ↓

"An important piece of representation."

— Goodman Theatre Audience

The Players

Three unforgettable characters. One soccer field. Everything to prove.

10
10
Asha Gupta
No. 10 · Midfielder · Captain
Indian-American senior with a D1 dream and a mother who wants a doctor instead. Disciplined, magnetic, quietly desperate for something that's entirely her own.
D1 Hopeful Indian-American Captain
Performed by Nithya Malempati
7
7
Nikki Shay
No. 7 · Forward · Transfer Star
Soccer prodigy who transfers in and immediately owns the field—and everyone's attention. All confidence on the outside. The rivalry with Asha hides something neither expected.
Prodigy Transfer Star Forward
Performed by Maya Avery
Asha's Mother
The Heart & the Hurdle
An immigrant who sacrificed everything to give her daughter a better life—with very specific ideas about what that life should look like. Her love is real and fierce. So is her fear.
Immigrant Fierce Love Generational Tension
The anchor of the story

The Music

From stadium-filling anthems to whispered confessions — the score of Chalo! draws from pop, punk, Bollywood, and ballad.

01
"Maddening As You"
The rivals anthem. Everything simmering underneath.
Pop-Punk
02
"Boiling Over"
When family pressure finally cracks open.
Bollywood
03
Warriors Fight Song
Full company. Roof-raising. Stadium energy.
Anthem
04
Mother-Daughter Duet
Two versions of love. One gut-punch of a song.
Ballad
05
Half-Time Sequence
Full ensemble. Game-day electricity.
Ensemble
Listen Now ★
"Maddening As You"

Sound DNA

⚡ Pop-Punk 🪘 Bollywood 🎵 Contemporary Pop 🎹 Ballads 🏟️ Stadium Anthems

How we got here

From a classroom idea to a Chicago stage — the story behind the story.

2023
The Spark ★
Reva Sangal and Avery Powers turn a class assignment into something neither can stop working on. A sapphic, Indian-American soccer story told in pop songs. The idea takes hold.
Spring
2024
First Workshop — Northwestern University
The earliest version finds its legs at Northwestern. Songs are tested, characters sharpened. The room starts to feel it.
Summer
2025
Musical Cabaret & Staged Reading — Goodman Theatre, Chicago
Chicago's legendary Goodman Theatre hosts the full cabaret and staged reading. The cast, songs, and story get their first real audience. The response is electric.
2026
Staged Reading — Chicago
A two-weekend staged-reading engagement in Chicago. Audiences laugh, cry, and leave humming. New fans, new momentum.
Next ★
Full Production — The Road Ahead
With Pop Up! Productions and Token Theatre on board, the team is building toward a full production. The story's just getting started.

What they said

"

I laughed and cried and rooted for the Warriors!

★★★★★
"

The songs have been stuck in my head for weeks!

★★★★★
"

I have "Maddening As You" stuck in my head right now, I absolutely loved it!

★★★★★
"

A much-needed story showcasing identity and family issues of Indian Americans in teenage years.

★★★★★
"

Actually unreal show, what a blast!

★★★★★
"

An important piece of representation: for Indian Americans, for queer girls, for teen girls.

★★★★★
"

The Bollywood-influenced numbers are incredible. This show needs to be on Broadway.

★★★★★
"

I laughed and cried and rooted for the Warriors!

★★★★★
"

The songs have been stuck in my head for weeks!

★★★★★
"

I have "Maddening As You" stuck in my head right now, I absolutely loved it!

★★★★★
"

A much-needed story showcasing identity and family issues of Indian Americans in teenage years.

★★★★★
"

Actually unreal show, what a blast!

★★★★★
"

An important piece of representation: for Indian Americans, for queer girls, for teen girls.

★★★★★
"

The Bollywood-influenced numbers are incredible. This show needs to be on Broadway.

★★★★★

The creators

Two writers. One story. Everything.

01
Book, Music & Lyrics
Reva Sangal
Co-creator of Chalo!, Reva writes from the intersection of Indian-American identity, girlhood, and ambition. Her work transforms the personal into something every audience member can feel in their chest.
02
Book, Music & Lyrics
Avery Powers
Avery brings the sonic heartbeat—from stadium-sized pop anthems to quiet Bollywood-inflected ballads. Her ear for melody and instinct for drama have shaped every note of this show.
Supported by → Pop Up! Productions Token Theatre Goodman Theatre Northwestern University

READY
TO CHALO?

Producer, collaborator, or just a fan who wants this on the biggest stage possible — we want to hear from you.

chalosoccermusical@gmail.com