The Parts I Keep Inside is a new contemporary musical by Andrea J. Love and Jeffrey Schmelkin.

The Parts I Keep Inside was originally a song cycle focused on mental health, born out of quarantine in 2020. This first iteration of the show, written entirely by Jeffrey, entered rehearsals in June of 2021 for its world premiere, produced by Rye Entertainment, at The Triad Theater in July of that year. Following this debut, the work underwent edits and improvements and debuted at The Triad Theater in July of 2022. This iteration was nominated for four Off-Broadway Awards that year.

In 2023, Jeffrey and Andrea met, vibed, and began to collaborate in a transformative process that turned a personal song cycle into a story-driven piece. With a complete re-imagining of the plot, book, and lyrics, The Parts I Keep Inside gained a life of its own. In October 2023, the show had an Act I developmental reading in NYC. In September 2024 (after a complete rewrite) the show started the first of a series of developmental readings at The Theatre Center. And on October 22, 2025, it will receive its first industry reading in NYC.

At its core, The Parts I Keep Inside is about the voices we live with every day: the ones that push us forward, hold us back, and sometimes keep us silent. It is a story of mental health, queerness, and vulnerability, framed by the universal search for connection.

In a time when conversations around anxiety, depression, and identity are louder and more urgent than ever, this musical provides a reminder that none of us are alone in the struggle to belong.