Hallelujah, It’s Heavenly!!

Keith Patrick McCoy (Front) stars in ‘Cotton Patch Gospel’. Back row (L to R): Isiah Harper, Michelle Justice, Dean Justice, Justin Belew, Jeff Snider

If a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man’s life could be worth, well I wonder what would happen to this world?  Find the answer to this question in Cotton Patch Gospel by Tom Key and Russell Treyz with music and lyrics by Harry Chapin.  It is currently playing at Springer Opera House.

It’s no secret that this is one of my favorite shows.  This is the fourth time I’ve reviewed a version of this musical and I’m always discovering something new based on the storytelling of each cast.  However, I was particularly looking forward to this version as it would be the first time I would see it performed under its original intentions (one actor playing all the roles and backed by a bluegrass band). 

I was not disappointed.

This is a beautiful show for the Easter season and I salute the cast for an energetic and fun-filled night plus give them further kudos for showing great poise as the weather looked like it was turning a little inclement for this outdoor production.

I’ve always appreciated Key & Treyz’s script for its wonderful worshipfulness and clarity.  They do an excellent job of taking the Gospel of Matthew, modernizing it and making it completely understandable to any and all regardless of one’s faith background. In this take, Jesus is born in Atlanta, raised in Valdosta and lynched for the sins of humanity.  Key and Treyz were able to take the most important points of the Gospel and translate it into a 90 minute show that never feels rushed or edited.

Paul Pierce provides very strong direction as he’s guided his lone actor to an impressive performance with a sure and solid hand.  The animation is constant and there’s nary a static moment in the show.  I was also quite pleased with the staging as it had the feeling of an old-time revival show.

Keith Patrick McCoy expertly handles an awesome burden as he plays everybody.  On a scale of 1 to 10, his energy hovered around 15 and he effortlessly transformed himself into several dozen characters with changes in posture and modulation of his angelic baritone.  Some of his great performances included his rendition of the show’s narrator, Matthew, the former IRS man whose respect and love for Jesus is palpable; his sincere and humble Jesus; the conflicted Jud who betrays the Son of God; a smarmy and hypocritical televangelist hyping faith cruises to the Holy Land and Hong Kong; a malevolent Herod bent on killing Jesus to retain his throne; a surprisingly sinister Pontius Pilate who engineers Jesus’ murder.  Last, but certainly not least, I give a personal standing ovation to McCoy’s interpretation of John the Baptizer as he finally gave me the Baptizer I’ve long wanted to see in the form of a blood and guts, fire and brimstone preacher. 

McCoy’s singing is every bit as good as his acting and it always suited the character singing the song. Favorite performances were his Jesus humorously teaching His followers to treat others the way they would want to be treated in “Turn It Around” and agonizing over His impending death in “Goin’ to Atlanta”.  He also has stellar turns as Herod cold-bloodedly admitting “I Did It” when he has an orphanage bombed in an attempt to kill Jesus and as Matthew explaining the takeover plan he and the Apostles cooked up for Jesus in “We Gotta Get Organized”.

The only critique I had was that I thought McCoy could have taken a beat when he transitioned characters and seemed to rush his lines on a few occasions, but I’m going to qualify that by saying he may have been forced to move a little faster due to the weather. 

McCoy was ably supported by a bluegrass band who serves as a second character in the production.  They play all the instruments, sing the bulk of the songs and sometimes stepped in as minor characters.  Justin Belew and Jeff Snider dazzled on guitar and banjo.  Dean Justice was flawless on the stand up bass and his low tenor voice excelled on the somber “Are We Ready?”  Michelle Justice did some fine fiddling and had a lovely solo in “Mama Is Here”.  Isiah Harper was a strong featured vocalist especially in “Something Brewing in Gainesville” and “You Are Still My Boy”.

Debbie Anderson’s musical direction was right on the money as she understood the nuances of Chapin’s score and correctly emphasized its humor and gravitas where needed.  I loved Matthew Swindell’s less is more set of a simple backdrop, table and boxes.  Katie Underwood’s lights were absolutely phenomenal and bolstered key emotional points especially the blue light on Jesus in “Goin’ to Atlanta” and the red and black of Jesus’ lynching.  Sandy Dawson’s costumes were top notch with McCoy’s dapper brown suit and the plaid shirts and overalls of the band.

So if you’re looking for some family entertainment this Easter season, spend some time in the cotton patch with this wonderful cast and story and find out why Cotton Patch Gospel is “The Greatest Story Ever Retold”.

Cotton Patch Gospel plays at Springer Opera House through April 3.  Remaining live performances are April 2 at 8pm and April 3 at 2:30pm.  Livestream performances will be held April 1-3 at 8pm (EST) and a matinee performance at 2:30pm (EST) on April 3.  Tickets range from $20-$38 and can be obtained by calling the Box Office at 706-327-3688 or visiting www.springeroperahouse.org.  Springer Opera House is located at 103 10^th St in Columbus, GA.

Photo provided by Allie Kent

Something Brewing at Springer Opera House

The cast of ‘Cotton Patch Gospel’ Back row (L to R): Justin Belew, Isiah Harper, Dean Justice, Jeff Snider Seated: Michelle Justice Kneeling: Keith Patrick McCoy

Columbus, GA–Dubbed “The Greatest Story Ever Re-Told,” Cotton Patch Gospel is the exuberant musical that tells the story of the life of Jesus, but set in modern-day, rural Georgia.  Jesus is born the son of a carpenter in Gainesville, meets a country preacher named John the Baptizer on the banks of the Chattahoochee and delivers the Sermon on the Mount on Stone Mountain.

The show will run as part of the Springer Opera House’s Outdoor Theatre Festival along with other musicals and children’s theatre shows. Opening March 24 in the newly-built Springer amphitheater, Cotton Patch Gospel arrives just in time for the Easter season.

“In this season of renewal, rebirth, and hope, Cotton Patch Gospel is just what the world needs right now,” explained Springer producing artistic director Paul Pierce.  “With music by the late, great Harry Chapin (Cat’s in the Cradle, Taxi) Cotton Patch Gospel is marked by a feeling of childlike belief, wonder and simple reverence.”

“We all remember the Sunday school lesson where the teacher asked, “What if Jesus were born today? How would you react?”  This show takes that simple question and brings it to life,” Pierce said.

The script was adapted from the Rev. Clarence Jordan’s book “Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John” by Tom Key and Russell Treyz.  Tom Key was the long-time artistic director of The Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta who recently retired.  Mr. Key collaborated with Grammy Hall of Fame honoree, Harry Chapin – one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in music history – to create the songs for Cotton Patch Gospel. Chapin won Grammy Awards in the 1970s for chart-topping hits like Cat’s in the Cradle, Taxi, Dreams Go By, W.O.L.D. and Sunday Morning Sunshine.

Connection to Habitat for Humanity and the Fuller Center for Housing

“Cotton Patch” author Rev. Clarence Jordan was a farmer who grew up in nearby Talbotton, Georgia, and sought to improve the lives of sharecroppers through scientific farming techniques. He was ordained at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and obtained a Ph.D. in Greek New Testament in 1938. In 1942, Jordan and his wife, Florence, founded Koinonia Farm, a 440-acre interracial farming community near Americus, Georgia.  As the Civil Rights Movement progressed, Koinonia Farm became the target of boycotts, violence, and bombings.

In the 1960s, as hostilities subsided in Sumter County, Jordan turned his attention to writing and speaking.  Through his expertise in New Testament Greek, Jordan translated the Synoptic Gospels using homespun language that his Southern audiences could relate to. Thus, Jerusalem became Atlanta, Pontius Pilate became the Governor of Georgia and Bethlehem became Gainesville. 

In 1965, two millionaires, Millard and Linda Fuller, from Lanett, Alabama, became dissatisfied with their wealthy and privileged lifestyle and moved to Koinonia Farm to serve Rev. Jordan’s mission.  The partnership resulted in the founding of Habitat for Humanity in 1976 and later, the Fuller Center for Housing. Fuller is internationally regarded as the founder of the affordable housing movement.

The Springer Production

Cotton Patch Gospel stars Keith Patrick McCoy as the apostle Matthew, who tells the story of Jesus’ life: birth to death to Resurrection.  Harry Chapin’s songs span musical styles from country to blues to folk to Gospel to bluegrass to jazz. The on-stage band is comprised of Michelle Justice, Justin Belew, Isiah Harper, Dean Justice and Jeff Snider. Pierce is the director of the show.

Cotton Patch Gospel runs March 24, 25, April 2 at 8:00 pm and March 27, 28, and April 3 at 2:30 pm. For tickets, call the Springer box office at 706-327-3688 or visit the Springer website at springeroperahouse.org.  Group rates are available for churches, youth groups, and senior groups.

Photo provided by Allie Kent

The Greatest Story Ever Retold Closing Theatrical Outfit’s Season

The beloved musical returns home just when we need its radical hope – now more than ever. Inspired by Clarence Jordan’s provocative The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John and produced and cherished worldwide since its conception in 1981, this soul-rouser with boundless heart sets the story of Jesus in the American South. In downtown Atlanta in 2020, Cotton Patch Gospel promises to raise the roof with joy!

Location:  Theatrical Outfit (84 Luckie St NW in the Balzer Theatre at Herren’s in Atlanta, GA  30303)

Dates:  April 22-May 17, 2020

Performance Times:  Wed-Sat at 7:30pm.  Sat-Sun at 2:30pm.

Tickets:  $15-$45.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.theatricaloutfit.org or contact the Box Office at 678-528-1500 between the hours of 10am-6pm Monday-Friday and 90 minutes before showtime.

Cast

Tom Key

Jeff McKerley

Cody Evan Jones

Karen Howell

Chani Maisonet

Candy McLellan

Joel Ishman

JD Myers

Grave Injustice

On the morning of April 27, 1913 in Atlanta, GA, the body of a 13 year old girl named Mary Phagan was found brutally murdered in the basement of the pencil factory where she had recently been laid off.  In a desperate attempt to close the books on the crime, her boss, Leo Frank, was indicted and convicted for the crime.  Frank was an ideal fall guy due to his being Jewish and a northerner.  This outsider status triggered a bloodlust and savagery in the community of Atlanta that led to the most devastating and tragic results.  This is the story of Parade written by Alfred Uhry with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown.  It opens tonight at the Omaha Community Playhouse.

I’ve seen and been involved with good shows, bad shows, and great shows.  Above these categories lies a fourth category.  To be in this category, the show must transcend the normal theatregoing experience with a uniqueness that can’t be defined.  It’s either there or it isn’t.  But when it’s there, it transforms the show into something truly magical.  After last night’s show, I have added Parade to that fourth category.

Alfred Uhry has written an eminently tragic tale about the trial of Leo Frank.  It is unafraid; boldly tackling ideas such as social justice, racism, anti-Semitism, and blind vengeance.  While it is clearly a drama, it’s also a very realistic show as there are moments of happiness, fun, and laughter mixed in with the grief and tragedy.  Uhry’s script is infinitely strengthened by the score of Jason Robert Brown who has infused the musical with some of the most haunting melodies I have ever heard.

Jeff Horger has helmed what might be the season’s best production with second to none direction and a nearly flawless cast.  What I especially appreciated about Horger’s direction is that the focus is on the community.  Yes, this is Leo Frank’s story, but the community is the central character as it’s the mentality and reactions of the citizenry that drives this series of events.  The audience becomes part of this community through Horger’s staging which has the characters of the play sitting with them, melding them into one unit.

This cast is so loaded with talent that I would like nothing more than to write a 10 page review extolling all of their virtues.  With that being said, some of the remarkable performances you’ll see are Adam Hogston as Brit Craig, a boozy, slimy reporter who sensationalizes the murder to the point where Frank would be unable to get a fair trial; Chloe Irwin who gives a spot on performance as Mary Phagan.  Ms Irwin has an impressive range for one so young as she can be such a kid at one moment and move you to tears with her reactions during Mary’s funeral in the next.

Other mighty performances come from Melissa King as Mrs. Phagan who gives a tortured performance as the grieving mother highlighted by an incredible solo with “My Child Will Forgive Me”; Grant Mannschreck as Frankie Epps, Mary’s friend and suitor.  Mannschreck has a strong, bright tenor that brought tears to my eyes with “It Don’t Make Sense”.  Mike Palmreuter also shines as John Slaton, the governor who sets the chain of events into motion for political reasons, but tries to do the right thing in the end.  Brian Priesman is menacing as Tom Watson, a hypocritical Bible thumper who knows how to stir up the masses.

One of the actors to watch out for is J. Isaiah Smith as Jim Conley.  Smith just bleeds talent and charisma with his take on Conley.  Smith’s Conley is a snarky, conniving piece of human garbage whose testimony is crucial to the conviction of Frank, but he just might be hiding secrets of his own.  Smith darn near steals the show with two showstopping numbers:  “That’s What He Said” and “Blues:  Feel the Rain Fall’”.  The latter song allows Smith to hit some searing and awesome falsettos.

Michael Markey gives a multilayered performance as Hugh Dorsey, Atlanta’s D.A. and prosecutor for Frank’s trial.  Markey gives you the sense that he does want to see justice done, but he’s more worried about the political ramifications should he fail to find and convict a killer.  When Frank is served up to him, he has absolutely no qualms about using coached testimony and suborned perjury to doom him.  Markey also has a facile baritone well used in “Twenty Miles from Marietta” and “The Glory”.

Megan Kelly blew me away as Lucille Frank.  Aptly described as “Jewish and southern”, Ms Kelly is every bit the Southern belle, but with a devout faith as well.  She is also very real as her reactions and fears about Frank’s trial and the public’s reactions to her are dead on the mark.  Ms Kelly also gets to show real strength as she overcomes those fears to stand by her husband’s side, best shown with her lovely alto in “You Don’t Know This Man”.  Not only does she overcome her own fears, but she also overcomes Frank’s pigheadedness which she wonderfully describes in “Do It Alone” to give him the help he so desperately needs to obtain his freedom.

And in midst of all of this chaos is Leo Frank, incredibly essayed by James Verderamo.  Verderamo is uncanny as Frank as he walks that line of making him a decent man, but not a likable man.  Verderamo’s Frank is definitely a square peg in a round hole.  He’s unhappy in Atlanta and would rather be back home in Brooklyn, NY.  He’s a workaholic, anal, a bit arrogant, and easily flustered and frustrated.  He is also smart, a gentleman, and well-mannered.

Verderamo depicts Frank’s high strung nature with a perpetual hunch in his shoulders and a constant massaging of his hands.  He also has a scintillating tenor voice best used in “All The Wasted Time” and “Sh’ma”.

Jim Boggess and his orchestra find gold once more with a brilliant rendering of the score, not to mention the clever staging of their being on a balcony over the town to make them a band in the parade.  Tim Burkhart & John Giblisco score with their sounds especially the wavy sound effects of an era microphone.  Lindsay Pape’s costumes evoke the memories of early 1900s southern gear with the long dresses, three piece suits, and old time prison garb.  Jim Othuse has designed a simple town square with lamps, crumbling wall, and balcony.  And his lights suit the play’s emotions down to the ground with sad blues, angry reds, and dark shadows.  Melanie Walters’ choreography shines especially in “Pretty Music” and “That’s What He Said”.

This is what theatre is all about.  When it operates at its pinnacle, theatre is a galvanizing force for action.  In his notes, Jeff Horger called this a historical piece and that is absolutely correct.  For what is history, but a chance to learn from our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them.

Parade plays at the Omaha Playhouse from Feb 9-Mar 11.  Showtimes are Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  Tickets cost $42 for adults and $25 for students.  Due to mature themes, this show is not recommended for children.  For tickets call 402-553-0800 or visit www.omahaplayhouse.com or www.ticketomaha.com.  The Omaha Community Playhouse is located at 6915 Cass St in Omaha, NE.

Wonderfully Worshipful ‘Cotton Patch Gospel’ Flies with the Angels

He was laid in an apple crate in Gainesville, GA, baptized in the Chattahoochee River, and lynched for the sins of humanity.  If you think this story sounds awfully familiar, you’d be right.  It is the story of Jesus presented in a countrified fashion in Cotton Patch Gospel by Tom Key and Russell Treyz based on works by Clarence Jordan with music and lyrics by Harry Chapin.  It is currently playing in the LRS Theatre at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.

While lesser known than some of its contemporaries, I’ve long considered Cotton Patch Gospel to be the best of the Gospel musicals.  Tonight’s production only served to strengthen that belief as Ken Bradbury and his cast and musicians came out with all guns a blazing in the best iteration of this show I have seen in a truly magical night of theatre.

Bradbury carries an unusually heavy load in this show as he served as director, musical director, played several instruments, and essayed a couple of roles too.  His direction is exceptionally sharp with strong staging that makes use of the entire performance space, sometimes even the entire theatre.  He has also led his 2 primary actors to unbelievably nuanced and gripping performances.

His musical direction is virtually flawless as he and his band (Carrie Carls, Barry Cloyd, Rob Killam, Mark Mathewson, and Danny McLaughlin) brought Harry Chapin’s score to bright and colorful life.  Bradbury is also an exceptional actor in his own right, projecting subtle menace as Herod as he calmly orders the bombing of an orphanage in an attempt to kill Jesus and milks a pregnant pause to fullest effect as the oily Governor Pilate.

The band not only supplies the music, but they also sing a great deal of the tunes and become characters in the story at various points.  Rob Killam is cool and smooth with the stand up bass while Mark Mathewson brings a lot of fun with the mandolin.  Danny McLaughlin is not only a great guitar player, but is an incredibly energetic performer whether he was hoofing it across the water before nearly drowning as Simon “Rock” Johnson or raining fire and brimstone on sinners as John the Baptizer.  Though his intentions were pretty spot-on, McLaughlin does need to tighten his internal cues a bit.

I thought the work of Carrie Carls and Barry Cloyd was truly something special.  Ms Carls has a very wide singing range, being a natural soprano who can easily go alto on a moment’s notice.  She was quite adept at picking out the emotional beats of a song, particularly shining as a grieving mother who cannot accept the death of her baby in Mama is Here and bringing a soft jubilance in Jubilation.

Cloyd is a master of the banjo and also shows some good comedic chops of his own as he wrestles with a fish when Jesus tells him he’ll catch a big one if he casts with his left hand.  But his lower tenor voice is his greatest asset best utilized in the melancholic Are We Ready? and the wistful You Are Still My Boy.

As essential as the band and music are to the story, this musical also needs top notch actors to drive the narrative and this show has that needed quality in the forms of Nathan Carls and Greg Floyd.  Both men brought a passion, energy, and animation to their roles that kept me hooked from start to finish and made them astoundingly fun to watch.

Nathan Carls is outstanding as Matthew.  As the play’s narrator, Carls carries the bulk of the show’s dialogue, skillfully navigating its numerous beats.  At one moment he does a little soft shoe because he’s excited about going to Atlanta, in the next he’s the rigid taxman meeting Jesus for the first time, the next heartbreakingly devastated as he relates the story of Jesus’ lynching.  And his expressions. . .so clean and clear.  His disgust at singing Spitball and the aching sadness in his face as he slams a chair to the ground to indicate Jesus’ lynching were highlights of the night.  Carls also possesses a fine tenor voice best featured in the hopeful When I Look Up and the spritely We’re Gonna Love it While it Lasts.

Greg Floyd is an absolutely remarkable Jesus.  He brings an innocence and purity crucial for the Son of God to the role and yet he still manages to exude a quiet confidence and authority that shows he is Lord.  Floyd is also able to capture the heavier moments of Jesus’ mission with equal aplomb.  Some of the play’s best moments occur when his beautiful high tenor voice musically asks, “What does Atlanta mean to me?” in Goin to Atlanta and his haunting request to God that he be able to accomplish his Father’s mission without suffering his vicious death during the Agony in the Rock Garden.

This production also rates strong praise for its technical quality.  Steven Varble’s beautifully simple set evokes the sense of a rural setting with its outline of a ranch house, windmill, and crates. Gene Hinckley’s lights greatly added to the emotional tone of the show with their vibrant colors.

I thought a beat here and there could have been struck differently and the pacing needed some fine tuning at a couple of points, but these minor quibbles were easily overlooked in the overall quality of the play.  My biggest disappointment is that a show this good only gets a 2 week run.  With that being said, I would recommend getting a ticket as quick as you can because when the word starts getting out, this show is going to start selling out.

Cotton Patch Gospel runs at the LRS Theatre in the Hoogland Center for the Arts through March 12.  Showtimes are 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays.  Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students and seniors and can be obtained by calling 217-523-2787 or visiting www.hcfta.org.  The Hoogland Center for the Arts is located at 420 S 6^th St in Springfield, IL.