SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 14, 2026 - Sacramento jazz-fusion band LabRats announces the world premiere

of Who Is Jef Costello?, an original hip hop operatic musical debuting March 21, 2026 at Sac Dance Lab. The

production serves as the theatrical album release for LabRats’ newest project, Tiger in the Jungle, and showcases

a multidisciplinary blend of music, dance, storytelling and immersive visual art.

Who Is Jef Costello? is an original staged work inspired by the 60s French noir classic Le Samouraï, reimagined

through a contemporary hip hop lens. The story follows Jef Costello, a solitary contract killer working under a

Mafia-controlled city block. When a high-profile job goes wrong and he is seen by the jazz pianist at the club he is

sent to infiltrate, Costello is forced into a moral unraveling that explores themes of identity, conflict, betrayal and

personal freedom.

“This show represents a new era for Sacramento’s music and performance landscape,”

said Jacob, director and producer.

“This production was written and arranged independently as a band, from the ground up, and brought

together some of the most accomplished artists in the city to help bring it to life. ”