Magnificent Bird/Book of Travelers

A singer-songwriter unusually well versed in historic antecedents yet fully in step with the moment, Gabriel Kahane can break your heart with a poignant observation, bend your ear with an arresting chord progression or, more often than not, twist you both ways at once. At Playwrights Horizons, he performs a diptych of solo shows on alternating nights: Book of Travelers, inspired by conversations with strangers during a long train ride around the country; and Magnificent Bird, about his efforts to disconnect from the internet for a year. Both pieces are directed by Annie Tippe, who has worked wonders with a number of numerical shows by Dave Malloy (including Ghost Quartet and Octet.)