Before there was the musical, there was the 2014 novel Réparer les vivants by Maylis de Kerangal. The title directly translates to "mend the living," reflecting its story about how a heart transplant gives one patient an unexpected second chance at life.

"I've just about given up when a miracle happens," said Heidi Blickenstaff, who plays the recipient, Claire. "People are going to be taken on this thrill ride of everything that happens from this huge loss for a family who is experiencing the worst day of their life to my character, who is potentially about to experience the best day of her life."

Before Kerrigan and the Eisendraths' musical came along, de Kerangal's book was adapted into the 2016 film Heal the Living, and a different stage version has been performed in France since 2015. That's a testament to the story's adaptability and appeal, even as organ donation may sound like an odd musical subject on paper.

"You cannot help but be charmed and totally caught up in a story about family, sacrifice, and gifts," said actor Drew Gehling. Book writer Kait Kerrigan added that the musical's format, with an ensemble cast each playing multiple roles, reflects "the idea that we are all connected."

What's even odder than a musical about a heart transplant? One set entirely to electronic music. Or so you might think.

"It instantly felt musical to us," said co-composer Ian Eisendrath. "The sound of a heartbeat [...] sounds so much like a kick drum, which is the backbone of a lot of music and definitely the backbone of our score." He added that the hospital, the show's main setting, "is one of the most sonic environments we will ever be in," filled with a constant flow of beeps and voices and sound.

The score-to-story connection isn't just aural, but visual. Simon's girlfriend, Juliette, is a DJ, so some scenes are set at the nightclub where the electronic music is right at home. Others are set in the ocean, where surfer Simon "is most alive," Ian Eisendrath said, before his untimely death.

"The sound of waves and the wave form makes its way across our whole show, from the shape of a wave to the shape of a soundwave to the shape of an EKG monitor," he added. Look out for that visual in the projections!

When you're in a nightclub, the music feels like it's coming from everywhere at once, all the time. That's how the creators of The Heart want you to feel.

"Our show is not an immersive show, but the soundscape is," said Jason Tam. "People are going to feel enveloped."

"We're trying to fill the space with sound, and if we do it right, people are going to be swept away like a wave with the music," added Anne Eisendrath. Luckily, in the 424-seat theatre, you're never far from the stage (or a speaker), and the music almost never stops throughout the whole 90 minutes. All that makes it near-impossible not to get caught up.

"Everyone's going to be shocked at the pace at which the story takes place," said Gehling. "It's very rare that you go into a theatre and you're taken on a roller coaster ride without a chance to take a breath.”

"I'm playing a doctor for the third time in the city of New York," noted Drew Gehling with a laugh. "I only do that now. That's my job now: doctor on Broadway."

Make no mistake, though, Gehling has range. Many theatre fans know and love him as the original Dr. Pomatter, a gynecologist, in Waitress, and he went on to play a dentist in Little Shop of Horrors and, now, a cardiac surgeon in The Heart. We wonder which medical profession he'll tackle next.

Those recommendations came from various cast and creative team members. Actor Joaquina Kalukango described The Heart as "The Pitt with electronica music" in that it's "a 24-hour pressure cooker" that captures the real urgency of the medics' work. And fans of dance-pop works like KPop Demon Hunters or Charli XCX's albums will want to groove along to The Heart's score.

As for stage musicals like Next to Normal and the Christopher Ashley-directed Come From Away, they infuse complex, sometimes dark subject matter with propulsive energy. "It does deal with loss, but it looks at loss through the lens of optimism and hope and the extreme cooperation needed to move a human heart from one body to then beat in another," said Tam.

The Heart maintains a sense of "aliveness," echoed Anne Eisendrath. "What we tried to do with the music was create a love letter to the healthcare professionals, to families who have lost loved ones, and organ recipients," she said. "It was really important to both Ian and I that we use the music to honor their stories."

Get The Heart tickets now.