In 1862, Abraham Lincoln held a discussion board to think about a possible answer to the nation’s battle: What if all free Black folks left the U.S. and settled in Central America?
The president’s controversial proposal of Linconia is certainly one of many historic occasions revisited within the new stage present “3 Summers of Lincoln,” which begins performances Tuesday at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse.
“What the president doesn’t understand is we are not aliens, not strangers of this land,” says Quentin Earl Darrington as Frederick Douglass in a scene. He then leads a refrain of Black males in a rousing gospel quantity that objects to the absurd suggestion:
We’re heirs to its glories, its sorrows and joysFormed from the sweat of our males and our boysSo no time for silence, flip up the noiseWe deserve the identical fortune the white man enjoys
The world-premiere manufacturing, prolonged by means of March 30 as a result of robust advance ticket gross sales, musicalizes the unlikely friendship between the titular president and the famous abolitionist. The adversaries-turned-allies famously formed the course of American historical past, although the 2 leaders met in individual solely thrice.
“But many of the problems they were grappling with are still with us,” he added. “So we’re all together trying to make a show that investigates that relationship and also speaks to the present moment.”
From left, counterclockwise: Director Christopher Ashley, co-choreographer Jon Rua, composer Crystal Monee Corridor, e book author and co-lyricist Joe DiPietro and co-lyricist and co-choreographer Daniel J. Watts of “3 Summers of Lincoln.”
(Sandy Huffaker / For The Occasions)
Any precursory comparisons to “Hamilton” are comprehensible, on condition that each stage musicals concentrate on an outspoken author, a pivotal president and a years-long battle that decided the nation’s future. Each reveals use up to date genres to recount the previous and star actors of colour as white historic figures. (They even each break theater taboo by referencing the Scottish play by title.)
“‘Hamilton’ or ‘1776’ or anything doesn’t own the monopoly,” stated “3 Summers of Lincoln” co-lyricist Daniel J. Watts who, together with fellow co-choreographer Jon Rua, are alumni of the Lin-Manuel Miranda phenomenon. “Yes, this show can’t exist without them, and we’re in conversation with all of them.”
Due to its Civil Battle setting, “3 Summers of Lincoln” facilities on a subject “Hamilton” neglected: slavery. And quite a few scenes peek into closed-door conferences, with debates about who’s allowed to enlist, who has the privilege to grieve and who deserves to take pleasure in America’s freedoms.
“One of the most interesting things about portraying this era is all the parallels to today, and how much these same conversations are happening over and over again,” stated Saycon Sengbloh, who portrays seamstress and activist Elizabeth Keckley.
“You can tune into the Senate and the House of Representatives’ discussions, and they’re similar to those of the cabinet in our show, which is sad and also fascinating.”
The musical discusses these thornier subjects matter-of-factly, not afraid to be frank about an unpleasant chapter of U.S. historical past. And but, it’s entertaining, because of galvanizing anthems, contemplative ballads and spectacular faucet numbers that monitor a game-changing invention: the telegraph.
“People are going to come to this possibly thinking they know what it might be about,” stated Rua. “But because we’re approaching it in a very different way, this isn’t a history lesson. This is beyond all that.”
Carmen Cusack performs Mary Todd Lincoln and Saycon Sengbloh portrays Elizabeth Keckley in “3 Summers of Lincoln.”
(Sandy Huffaker / For The Occasions)
The imaginative and prescient wasn’t at all times so daring. In the course of the pandemic, producers approached playwright Joe DiPietro about making a theatrical piece solely about Lincoln, “who is already the most written about person in history, after Jesus Christ,” he recalled.
“My first thought: That’s a vast undertaking. Is Lincoln a good idea for a musical? How is it not a white-savior show? How would he sound in song? And how do we tell the truth in a way that doesn’t feel like homework?”
Upon additional analysis, DiPietro grew intrigued by Lincoln in relation to Douglass; their three conferences occurred through the president’s ultimate years. “Even though they were antagonists who didn’t agree on a lot, they must have recognized something in each other — like, this guy is playing on my level,” stated DiPietro, the present’s e book author and co-lyricist.
“These two giants must have found a deep respect for each other because they grew to become friends. Putting them both as leads in a story like this, that’s interesting.”
The story begins in 1862, early on within the Civil Battle. Earlier than their first face-to-face onstage, every shares with the viewers his personal ideas, public personas, relations and accomplishments to date.
“Everybody has this idea of Lincoln as so reserved and put together, and he was, but he had his flaws and his blinders, and he must have struggled so immensely emotionally,” stated Ivan Hernandez, who performs the president. “This great weight he carried, this responsibility he had; in a musical, you get to really hear him express these powerful ideas and emotions.”
“Most people know the CliffsNotes version of Frederick Douglass, and I didn’t even know the full depth of his impact until really diving into this role,” added Darrington.
“It says a lot about how history and race relations are taught in our country, considering who everyone knows and who we only know at the surface. It’s a shame that his story hasn’t been brought to light more, and it’s one of the most important things that we’re doing.”
“An unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object,” Daniel J. Watts stated of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Quentin Earl Darrington and Ivan Hernandez within the present.
(Sandy Huffaker / For The Occasions)
After they do lastly meet, “it’s an explosion, like the personification of an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object,” stated Watts. That collision is expressed not simply within the dialogue however within the rating, as solely a musical can do.
“Throughout the show, they each have their own sonic identities — Lincoln is a bit measured and methodical and very pressed down, and Douglass is thunderous and flavorful right out of the gate, with nothing held back,” stated composer Crystal Monee Corridor.
“We then hear what they sound like together, and it’s this tingling intensity of when you actually meet your match. And after that scene, you can sonically hear their influence on each other.”
Whereas the narrative jumps from boardrooms to battlefields, the manufacturing makes use of projection design to have a good time each Lincoln and Douglass’ well-known writings.
And although the viewers may understand how the historic musical ends, “what’s most eye-opening about the show is to see the messy process of progress,” stated Darrington.
“We often think a word is spoken, a document is signed, an action takes place and then it’s all tied up in a nice bow. But, my God, no. It’s a lot of failure, death and running away, because people at the time didn’t know exactly what to do. They might have known where they wanted to go but not how to get there because no one had done it before.”
“What we were trying to accomplish then, we’re still trying to accomplish,” echoed Carmen Cusack, who portrays Mary Todd Lincoln. “Right now, it seems like the darkest times in our world, and that we don’t know how to come together because it’s all so muddy. Even among people in my own family, I’ve never felt such a divide.
“What we can do as artists is use our craft, our skills and our hearts to keep the dialog open,” she added. “That’s the most important thing, that we not just run to our corners, but that we continue to talk about this.”
‘3 Summers of Lincoln’
The place: Mandell Weiss Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La JollaWhen: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and eight p.m. Saturdays, 1 and seven p.m. Sundays. Ends March 30.Tickets: Begin at $30Info: LaJollaPlayhouse.org, (858) 550-1010Running time: TBA
