It takes a long time before a show makes it to Broadway. Before hitting the Great White Way for previews in November, "In Transit" was first seen on the NYMF stage in 2004 and was called "Along The Way."

From there, it ran from from August 8-10 at the York Theatre Company in 2008 and at Primary Stages in 2010.

Mickey Rapkin, the author of "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory" (yes, the book the movie is based on) said at the time:

I caught a rehearsal today and, well, the show is FANTASTIC. As expected, the creative team is littered with collegiate a cappella alums.

That four-person creative team included Sara Wordsworth of Columbia University's Redline, James-Allen Ford of Yale University's Mixed Company and The Whiffenpoofs, Kristen Anderson-Lopez of the Williams College Ephlats, and Russell Kaplan of the Carnegie Mellon Soundbytes.



After hitting the Circle in the Square stage 181 times, "In Transit" sadly closed its Broadway run.

Luck for all of us, the original broadway cast album came out today!

As you take a break from obsessively taking in this monumental a cappella album, take a look back with one of the show's composers at earlier incarnations of some of the songs you know as well as one that got cut along the way. 

Boxman Adam Matta poses "A Math Question" in 2008

Russel Kaplan:
"This is the 'speech with sound' that sets up our theme. The text is our own but the sound effects and beats are always different based on who's playing Boxman. Beatboxing is an extremely individual art form, and it's important that every Boxman have one or two moments in the show when they can showcase their own unique sound bank, which they've often spent years developing."

Bob Ross Juice Box sings "The Moving Song"

Kaplan said:
"The first version of this song had a slightly more 'local' angle. The narrator was making the gigantic leap from Manhattan to Brooklyn (gasp!) and the lyrics were making more of a conscious effort to draw a parallel between relationships and the grueling task of finding an apartment.

"When we changed the character's backstory to having moved from Seattle, it became a little less New York-centric, and I'd say a little more universal. Plus musically it evolved, with a new introduction and a new ending that's slightly less sad (slightly)."

Cut song from "In Transit:" "No Dental"

Kaplan said:
"This used to be the 'hit song' of the show, but it's a great example of how as the writing improves overall, sometimes a great song just doesn't fit any more. It was Jane's 'I Want' song, and it set up her situation by showing how much she hates her temp job (which naturally doesn't carry any long-term benefits).

"But as we were workshopping the show we started to realize it wasn't getting her the empathy she needs because what she really wants is not dental insurance, but an entirely different career. So we wrote a new song that reframes her job as a necessary evil, and a means to her desired end: 'I Do What I Don't Really Do, so I can Do What I Do Do' (or just 'Do What I Do')."

FloVoice Exclusive: "In Transit" cast sings at cast party

Margo Seibert & The Cast of In Transit Recording "Do What I Do" Live

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