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National Opera Conference Kicks Off in Memphis

Opera Memphis performs La Calisto at Playhouse on the Square last year. The production's return will be one of the conference's capstone events. (Photo: Ziggy Mack)

Opera America’s annual Opera Conference kicked off in Memphis on Tuesday, May 20th, welcoming hundreds of opera professionals from across the nation to the city for discussions, networking, and performances. Opera Memphis is serving as the host company, making it the smallest company ever to host. 

Yet the company’s size is just why Ned Canty, Opera Memphis’ general director, has been advocating for the conference to be held in Memphis for years, he says. “Historically, the conferences have been in larger cities with larger companies, but larger companies can learn something from smaller companies. There’s a benefit to everyone in seeing how we do things in different parts of the country.” 

And being in Memphis, Canty says, has its added benefits. “With our history as a city in terms of music and influence on American music and our city as a hub for civil rights, I just think there were a lot of reasons why it made sense for the conference to be here.” 

The conference’s agenda is packed through Friday, May 23rd, and Opera Memphis will have the chance to showcase its community-focused approach to opera. “We have been part of a movement over the past decade where companies have been looking at what their value to their cities is,” Canty says. “It’s termed civic practice. [It’s] the idea that what we do needs to go beyond just putting on shows, just what we do in the opera house.”

As an example, Canty points to the company’s 14-year-old 30 Days of Opera program, which brings free opera performances throughout the city. “It’s been something that fits in very well with Memphis and fits in with the Memphis mentality and with the conference,” Canty says.

Thirty Days also stemmed from conferences from years ago. “There was lots of inspiration from other companies,” Canty admits. “But we took it, we made it very Memphis, we made it very grit and grind, and we really put it at the heart of our mission and our activities, and what we learned from that, we’ve been able to share at other conferences.”  

Now, Canty hopes to share even more from what Opera Memphis has learned — and what other Memphians in the arts have learned. Indeed, Memphis-based speakers will sit on various panels: Mayor Paul Young, Ekundayo Bandele of Hattiloo Theatre, Samson Mobashar of the Soulsville Foundation, Darel Snodgrass of WKNO-FM, Christopher Reyes of BVO, Director of Creative and Cultural Economy DeMarcus Suggs, Rachel Knox of the Hyde Family Foundation, Anasa Troutman of the Big We, and panelists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Scheidt School of Music, and the University of Memphis. 

Photo: Courtesy Opera America | Jc Olivera

Many of the panelists represent organizations, with which Opera Memphis collaborates. “One of the great things about Memphis is that it is a Goldilocks-sized city. It’s not too big and it’s not too small,” Canty says. “And while there are challenges to that size, it does mean that it’s big enough to have resources and audiences and lots of different arts organizations, and we support each other. … I think this is hopefully going to inspire some folks to seek out new partners and collaborators in their cities.”

“And you know that is, for me, the most important part of it: The conference is a place to share things,” Canty says. “My hope is that some of the stuff that Memphis has to teach folks can be taught during the conference this time around, and then next year, we’ll be in another city, and the folks there will have their special things that they’ve learned, and they can inspire us and other opera companies in return — especially at a time like this, when there’s a pretty concerted effort to zero out the National Endowment for the Arts. This is more important than ever that we’re all talking to each other about how we can ensure that this does not that this does not bring us to our knees. How can we work together to ensure that we still fulfill our missions, that we still tell stories, that we still make music together?”

In the name of making music, Opera Memphis will put on La Calisto on Wednesday and Friday, with both performances open to the public, not just those attending the conference. Described as a “great Baroque opera,” La Calisto blends several Roman myths, traversing themes of love, lust, responsibility, and desire. The opera will feature local singers, company artists, and a few traveling artists. “We purposefully looked for a show where the creativity and the talent, the human talent, was the most important part of it,” Canty says.

Capturing the human talent, Canty says, is one of the things an Opera Memphis show does best. “People always think of operas as this very big art form, an excessive art form. And that is sometimes true, but if you look back to the roots of it, a lot of pieces that were written in the earliest years of opera were written for very, very small theaters, theaters that are much closer in size to Playhouse on the Square than a 4,000-seat theater like you might find in a bigger city. And so by doing it this way, we’re able to really just kind of hone in on doing the show as well as it can be done.”

Opera Memphis performs La Calisto at Playhouse on the Square last year. The production’s return will be one of the conference’s capstone events. (Photo: Ziggy Mack)

Opera Memphis’ production of La Calisto will also take on a bit of a Memphis flavor, Canty says. In one scene, the troupe has replaced a battle outfitted with spears and swords with a dance battle bringing in multiple styles of dance, including, of course, Memphis jookin’. 

In addition, to La Calisto, Opera Memphis will perform arias of select commissioned works, some a few years old, some still in progress, some yet to be debuted. These performances will only be accessible to conference attendees, but the hope is that another company may want to co-produce a piece in progress or do their own production of one that’s already shown. And don’t worry, Canty says, Memphis will one day see these in-progress and yet-to-be-debuted works. 

To find out more about or to register for the Opera Conference, visit operaamerica.org. To purchase tickets to La Calisto on Friday, May 23rd, 7:30 p.m., visit operamemphis.org. Tickets cost $10 to $75. The production will include heavy haze and some strobe light effects. Tickets for Wednesday night’s performance have sold out. 

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Theater Theater Feature Uncategorized

Rumors at Theatre Memphis

Reneé Davis Brame, Jenny Odle Madden, and Rae Kestrel (Photo: Steve Roberts)

Have you heard? The rumors are true — opening night of Theatre Memphis’ latest show went off without a hitch, though the same can’t be said for the characters. That’s right, folks, Fleetwood Mac has nothin’ on Neil Simon. (Okay, I promise I won’t do any more rumor puns.) Anyone who loves theater will have at least heard of Neil Simon, one of the most popular American playwrights of the 20th century, and anyone who loves Neil Simon will probably appreciate a good farce. Rumors, then, will not disappoint. 

(Trigger warning: this play, and subsequently this review, mentions suicide.) Rumors opens on the evening of a fancy dinner party, although we learn in about the first five seconds that this particular soirée is not going to plan. It’s Myra and Charley Brock’s 10th wedding anniversary, and their friends are dressed to the nines and will be arriving soon to celebrate. The problem is Myra’s nowhere to be found and Charley, who happens to be the deputy mayor of New York, has blown off his own earlobe in what might have been a botched suicide attempt. No one really knows what the whole ear thing is about, but in order to avoid scandal, the Brocks’ friends decide that this (*gestures wildly*) fiasco cannot get out. Reputations are on the line, after all, including that of party guest Glenn Cooper, currently running for state senate. To 2025 audiences, it may seem almost quaint that such silly things could have the potential to jeopardize a campaign. After all, if 34 felony convictions don’t hurt your political career, what will? But those were the times.

Because this play was written in the late 1980s and premiered in 1988, its content might be somewhat shocking to the younger subset of modern viewers. To sum it up bluntly, there are aspects of this play that would not be considered politically correct today. To me though, Rumors stands the test of time in large part because it is so obviously criticizing the types of people portrayed onstage. It’s helpful to know that the playwright himself wrote the story to shed light, and not a very flattering one, on the fact that great liars are practically above reproach in our society. Charm and a good yarn can get you out of almost anything, especially if you’re rich. One of the main themes of this show is the disastrous effect of miscommunication, but instead of being preachy about it, Simon chose to serve up the lesson on a hot platter of comedy. 

Let me put it this way, if you love Keeping Up with the Kardashians, this is the play for you. Watching out-of-touch rich people totally lose their shit while being as catty as possible is, after all, wildly entertaining. And the characters in Rumors are as loaded as they are toxic. There were some genius line-readings in this production, and trust me, the end of act two is 100 percent worth the wait. Gabriel Thomas Kestral as Lenny Ganz as Charley Brock (it makes sense when you’re watching the show) delivered a monologue for the ages. The cast had their timing down to perfection, which is essential in a fast-paced, zany show like this one. The payoff was an enthralled and delighted audience. It’s always great to see the wackiest physical comedy paired with witty dialogue, and while pulling off both at the same time is difficult, this cast nailed it. 

Visually, Rumors is stunning, with the ’80s brought to life by the two-story set and flashy costumes. The costumes, in the wildly saturated finery of 1988, were enough to make me glad for the recent crunchy-lifestyle dismissal of polyester. Still, they were gorgeous to look at and lent the characters a glittering, color-coded mythical quality. 

Rumors is everything a theater-goer could hope for in a farce. Don’t bring the kids to this one, as it definitely has some adult themes and colorful language. But do go and enjoy watching some oddball characters make bad choices. This is a situation so ludicrously removed from reality that it’s amusing instead of stressful, but don’t take my word for it. 

Rumors runs at Theatre Memphis through May 11th. 

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Theater Theater Feature

Cecelia Wingate’s Lifetime Achievement

Cecelia Wingate. Photo by Karen Pulfer Focht.

In a moment that left her breathless, Cecelia Wingate, a force of Memphis theater, learned she would receive the prestigious Eugart Yerian Award for lifetime achievement at the Ostrander Awards this year. The news came unexpectedly, delivered a few weeks ago by Jeff Posson outside Theatre Memphis where Wingate was heading into a rehearsal for Silent Sky. “It knocked the wind out of me,” she said. “Everything just kind of fell to the concrete.” 

But there was a rehearsal to command, so she recovered immediately and got busy on the production.

Wingate’s theatrical career, spanning over four decades, is a tapestry of unforgettable productions and bold creative choices, as both director and performer. It’s reflected in the numerous Ostrander trophies she’s collected in the last decade, mostly for direction but also for her role in Jerre Dye’s Cicada. She did that same role in Chicago in 2014, earning a nomination for a prestigious Jeff Award, and then in 2016 won a Jeff for her turn in Evan Linder’s Byhalia, Mississippi.

She fondly recalls some of the shows that have defined her legacy. Silent Sky, The Addams Family, The Producers, and 1776 stand out as directorial milestones, each marked by her meticulous attention to detail and innovation. Her reimagining of 1776 in 2018, set against the backdrop of contemporary political divides, was particularly poignant. She wove in voices from modern news pundits as well as Barack Obama, creating a soundscape that traveled backward in time. The show’s ending, with a quote from John F. Kennedy and the word “VOTE” lingering on stage, left audiences spellbound. Mostly so, anyway, but Wingate was never going to apologize to the naysayers. “It was chilling and glorious.”

As a director, she thoroughly enjoys getting into the research. For 1776, she pored over Thomas Jefferson’s meteorological records to confirm it was raining on a key date, informing sound design and stage direction. “God is in the details,” she said, a mantra echoed by her actors. She pushes performers to dig deeper, whether it’s carrying a character’s keepsake or imagining the weight of signing the Declaration of Independence.

Wingate’s impact extends beyond the stage. She has mentored a generation of directors and actors, sharing tools like her detailed production breakdown sheets. Her work at Theatre Memphis, where she’s been a fixture since 2006’s Little Shop of Horrors, is a source of pride. “I’m proud of every single thing I’ve done there,” she said, praising the theater’s volunteer-driven spirit and rock-star treatment of its community. And her collaborations with executive producer Debbie Litch, who grants her full creative trust, have been a cornerstone of her success.

You might think success comes easy for Wingate who has a commanding presence, whether performing or directing. You’d be wrong. She is, by her own admission, terrified before every project. “It happens every single time I direct a show,” she confessed. Yet, this fear fuels her drive to create immersive, impactful theater. From raising the orchestra pit in Beautiful to electrify audiences, to coaxing breakthroughs from novice actors, she thrives on the magic of discovery. 

“When you see them have breakthroughs and bring it, that is rewarding as hell,” she said.

As she prepares for her next venture, directing Mamma Mia! in 2026, Wingate’s legacy is clear: a career built on passion, precision, and an unyielding commitment to storytelling. The Eugart Yerian Award is a testament to her enduring influence on Memphis theater. As she tells her actors before they take the stage, “Stand straight, breathe in, and tell yourself, ‘I am a badass.’” For Wingate, those words are more than a pep talk — they’re a way of life.

This year’s Ostranders will be on Sunday, August 24th, at the Orpheum. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale in July. 

On June 5th there will be Ostranders Night featuring a preview of Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Theatre Memphis. Tickets for the fundraiser are $50, which includes a reception, performance, and a chance to meet Wingate. Get tickets here.

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Theater Theater Feature

The Agony and the Ecstasy

Chad Marriott, Erin Amlicke, and Austin Hanna (Photo: Joey Miller)

The opening scenes of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, the latest production by Tennessee Shakespeare Company, may be disarmingly light for some theatergoers. Many of us, myself included, tend to imagine the story of Joan of Arc in the direst possible terms — we all know it ends with her being burned alive, after all. And the first few minutes of the play depict just that, as if to remind us what’s at stake before the narrative begins in earnest.

But then the story launches on a disarmingly light note, with the broad, jocular acting of a comedy. Two characters blow raspberries at each other. It’s a jolly romp, as local big shot Robert de Baudricourt (Austin Hanna) blusters about the lack of eggs from his hens, which, his underlings insinuate, is likely caused by the slightly touched-in-the-head farm maiden Joan (Erin Amlicke). She’s unfazed by the generalized buffoonery, her face uplifted, radiating joy, embodying the chipper, plucky optimism of a naïf. 

In a sharp disconnect from the romp, Joan insists that she hears voices, and that Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret, and Saint Michael all have instructed her to lead troops against the British at Orléans. There’s an undaunted quality in Joan’s convictions (and Amlicke’s performance) that wins over the men of power, and ultimately they are swayed to send her off to an audience with the Dauphin, aka Charles II, France’s as-yet uncrowned heir apparent. 

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is nothing if not resourceful, and it casts the eight actors in this production as different characters as the changing scenes demand. Thus, the Dauphin is also played by Hanna, the broad bluster of Baudricourt replaced by his effeminate take on poor little rich boy Charles. This continues the somewhat farcical tone of the opening scene, even as graver characters, like the Archbishop of Rheims (Chad Marriott), enter the narrative. Another man of power, the Duke la Trémouille, also enters the story here, yet, in the fine Shakespearean tradition of gender-swapping roles (done in Elizabethan times because women were not allowed to perform), la Trémouille is played by Sarah Sakaan. 

Indeed, several women take on the visage of powerful men in this production, and none more powerfully than Lauren Gunn, who plays several characters here, most impressively the English Earl of Warwick. She brings an undeniable gravitas to her performances that at last seems appropriate to what is ultimately a tragedy. 

Then, as the play proceeds, farce recedes and the entire cast rises to the occasion of the story’s inherent drama. As Joan is put on trial for heresy, we see some of the show’s finest performances, including finely wrought characterizations by Hanna as the Inquisitor and Sakaan as Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais. And Amlicke’s distress in the finale is all the more powerful in contrast with her unflappably jaunty take on Joan in earlier scenes. 

Indeed, that may be a key to this intriguing staging of the play, as the lighthearted gives way to the tragic. The powerful ending is underscored by way of contrast with the early scenes. And, speaking of underscoring, the sound design and musical compositions by Joe Johnson foreshadow the tragedy to come. That in turn is capped off with a coda wherein a visitor from the 20th century reads the official statement of Joan’s canonization in 1920, and all the key characters step out of time to consider their role in it.

The contrasts in tone, as director Sarah Hankins astutely conveys here, are ultimately what Shaw envisioned when writing the play. As he noted in the play’s preface, “There are no villains in the piece. … It is what men do at their best, with good intentions, and what normal men and women find that they must and will do in spite of their intentions, that really concern us.” 

Tennessee Shakespeare’s final two performances of Saint Joan are on Friday, April 18th, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 19th, at 3 p.m. Visit tnshakespeare.org for details.

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Theater Theater Feature

Seussical at Circuit Playhouse

Brooke Papritz as Mayzie LaBird (Photo: Halo @Itsjusthalo)

Raising a child in the digital age can feel incredibly overwhelming. You can’t get through a day without a social media platform — operating under the guise of peacefully perfected progressive humility — gently telling you that you and every other 21st-century parent are doing everything wrong. The wealth of information available to us on parenting often feels more like an assault. One thing that stands out to me is that escaping the ephemeral tablet wonderland and having experiences rooted in the real world is fundamentally a good thing — hence live theater. (I say this without judgment. If your child is playing on an iPad right now, I get it.) Exposing young minds to the arts couldn’t be more important right now — hence Seussical. 

Circuit Playhouse’s Seussical is everything a grown-up theater kid loves but packaged for a young audience — the future theater kid, so to speak. If I had to sum it up in one word, I’d probably use “dazzling.” You’d expect any musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss to be a visual buffet, and in this you won’t be disappointed. Bright lights, catchy songs, and costumes like a veritable spring sensory bouquet — it’s all here. 

About 15 to 20 Dr. Seuss books are represented, by my guess, although the main stories we follow are Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg. We mainly follow The Cat in the Hat, who acts as a kind of guide through the metaphorical representation of the imagination of young JoJo (a resident of Whoville, if you recall). 

One thing I appreciate about this show is that it’s the perfect way to teach children the magic of willfully suspending your disbelief. It’s an art I sometimes worry might be lost as we become more used to computer-generated effects, but it’s one that’s fundamental to enjoying live theater. What we see is just a person on stage holding a scarf, but if things come together just right, then kids (or anyone really) can gleefully buy into the idea that no, this is a real-live elephant. This is a case in which things came together just right. 

I’ve always thought children’s theater requires a specific energy from performers. Everything is a little more “up” in a way that’s difficult to articulate, and it can potentially tip a performance over into the realm of feeling disingenuous. Luckily this show achieves the delicate balance of feeling authentic yet being just over-the-top enough that it can hold a 5-year-old’s fickle attention. Director and choreographer Courtney Oliver staged this show perfectly, and I have to tip my hat to the casting decisions, as everyone fit their role like a hand to a glove. Annie Freres as the Sour Kangaroo was particularly inspired, as it provided an appropriate avenue for her powerhouse of a voice, which could so easily make everyone else suffer by comparison but instead elevated the calibre of the whole show. 

Much as I enjoyed this performance, I would be remiss if I didn’t voice some thoughts on the background of Seussical. A failure to comment on the backlash against the works of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, in recent years would feel, to me, dangerously close to erasure. In 2019, the NAACP called for the censorship of all of Geisel’s work from public schools, institutions, and public libraries, and as of 2021, six Dr. Seuss books will stop being published. In my opinion, the vital message here is this: Art is important. It has power, and talking about it — whether about how it can encourage people to learn and think critically or about the ever-increasingly relevant debate on just how much we should separate art from an artist — is important. The humanities are and always have been critical for our society. This musical can be interpreted in myriad ways, and perhaps it’s an opportunity to talk with our children (or family or friends) about how art can mean different things to different people. Perhaps this is an opportunity to stop and wonder why the line “Somebody’s thinkin’ different than us” is voiced by the villain of the show. 

Seussical runs at The Circuit Playhouse through April 12th.

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Theater Theater Feature

Orpheum Announces Broadway Lineup

Rachel Simone Webb and the company of the North American Tour of & Juliet (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

The Orpheum Theatre Group has announced its 2025-2026 Broadway season, kicking off this October with A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. In total, the season includes eight shows. 

“I really am excited about this season because — everybody always says there’s something for everyone — but this season really does have something for everybody. Each show is different,” says Brett Batterson, president and CEO of the Orpheum. 

A Beautiful Noise, a jukebox musical, is based on the rock icon Neil Diamond’s life. “[The Orpheum] invested in the Broadway production of a Beautiful Noise, and then we also invested in the tour,” Batterson adds. “So, we have a little piece of ownership.”

In addition to A Beautiful Noise, four other shows will make their Memphis premieres this season: The Notebook: The Musical (October 28th-November 2nd), adapted from the Nicholas Sparks’ novel that inspired the romantic film; & Juliet (November 25th-30th), which flips the script on Shakespeare’s classic; The Outsiders (January 20th-25th), based on the S.E. Hinton novel; and Back to the Future: The Musical, adapted from the beloved cinematic classic. 

Returning this year to the Orpheum’s stage are The Sound of Music (February 17th-22nd) and Six (April 21st-26th) about the six wives of Henry VIII. Disney’s 30th anniversary production of Beauty and the Beast will conclude the season on June 2nd to 7th. “Beauty and the Beast has been here five times, but this is a new production that Disney has produced, new staging, new costumes, new scenery, that kind of thing,” Batterson says. 

“I’m just really glad to bring this season and have people come and enjoy themselves with the Orpheum because I think they’ll enjoy every single show on the lineup this year.”

Current season ticket holders can renew now. Ticket packages for new season ticket holders will be available starting Friday, May 2nd. Those interested in becoming a season ticket holder can join a special priority list starting now until April 25th to secure access to a 48-hour presale ahead of the public on sale. More information can be found at orpheum-memphis.com/season. The public sale for individual shows and group tickets will be announced later.   

The Orpheum’s current season continues with Some Like It Hot on April 8th to 13th and Kimberly Akimbo on June 24th to 29th.

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Theater Theater Feature

Quark Theatre’s ‘A Body of Water’ Opens Tonight

Lena Wallace Black and Anne Marie Caskey (Photo: Tony Isbell)

Tonight, Quark Theatre will open its production of Lee Blessing’s A Body of Water in First Congo’s theater space. The play has not been performed before in Memphis, as far as director and Quark co-founder Tony Isbell is aware.

“This is a play where I really don’t want to give away too much of what happens,” Isbell says. “The less you know about it going in, the better.” 

The playwright himself has even said, “While it’s hard to talk about the play before seeing it, it’s hard not to talk about the play after seeing it.”

Without giving too much away, Blessing’s play opens with a man and woman waking up one morning in an isolated house with no memories — not knowing who they are, how they got there, or how they know each other. Then another woman arrives. “She seems to have some answers for them,” Isbell says, “but the question is, are they the right answers, and do they want to believe what she’s telling them?”

For the show, Quark’s programs won’t even list the names of these characters, played by Anne Marie Caskey, Barclay Roberts, and Lena Wallace Black, all of whom are Ostrander-winning actors. 

Barclay Roberts and Lena Wallace Black (Photo: Tony Isbell)

The play, originally published in 2005, is “a great piece for actors,” Isbell adds. “In a review I read, the reviewer said the play is like if Neil Simon and Franz Kafka had collaborated. And that’s accurate. Some of it is silly, funny, and some of it is strange and mystifying. It’s full of twists and turns. I’ve been describing it as a darkly comic, existential thriller, existential mystery, because you will keep guessing about what’s going on until the very — I mean, the very — last seconds of the play.”

Interestingly, A Body of Water’s ending has changed a few times since its debut. “[Blessing’s] now settled on the ending that we’re using, which, as far as I know, is going to be his final ending. And it’s really the best,” Isbell says. “It’s very intriguing and there’s a mystery to be solved, and whether or not it’s ever solved will be up to each person who is seeing it.”

At about 90 minutes and with no intermission, A Body of Water will run on select dates through March 9th. “If you’re a fan of the work of David Lynch or the plays of Harold Pinter or The Twilight Zone, you would probably like this show.”

Purchase tickets ($20) here. 

A Body of Water, TheatreSouth at First Congo, 1000 South Cooper, Friday-Saturday, February 21-22, 8 p.m. | Sunday, February 23, 2 p.m. | Friday-Saturday, February 28-March 1, 8 p.m. | Sunday, March 2, 7 p.m. | Friday-Saturday, March 7-8, 8 p.m. | Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m., $20.

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Theater Theater Feature

A World Turned Upside Down

A.D. Weaver as George Washington in Hamilton (Photo: Joan Marcus)

A crash course in historical irony was on hand last night, as my son and I trundled into the Orpheum to see Hamilton: An American Musical. While the cast of the celebrated musical sang and rapped their way through the circumstances and ideals upon which this country was founded, a shadowy Trump administration and its unelected advisor, Elon Musk, had just frozen funds for the National Endowment for Democracy in direct violation of the 1974 Impoundment Control Act (which mandates that funds appropriated by Congress be distributed to their proper recipients). Meanwhile, the United States apparently abandoned all commitments to erstwhile ally Ukraine. Authoritarian states like China and Russia were delighted by both moves. And, with characteristic hubris, Trump tweeted “LONG LIVE THE KING,” referring to himself. Welcome to another day in Upside-Down World, where a supine Republican Congress continues to give the executive branch free rein.

Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) diverted all funding originally targeting underserved communities only two weeks ago. Instead, those monies shall now go to projects honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That, perhaps, is the most chilling irony: the NEA celebrating a revered historical document as a kind of fetish while caving in to principles that defy its very intent.

It was not always thus. As Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda told CBS News in 2017, without the NEA he might never have had a career at all.

“My first musical was workshopped at the O’Neill Musical Theatre Center, which is partly funded by the NEA,” he said. “But that’s not even the real story. The real story is the NEA funds things in all 50 states. They are the supplement when arts programs get cut. They fund reading programs between parents and young children in Kentucky. They fund, you know, educational initiatives all over the state, all over the United States. So, when we talk about the NEA, we’re talking about a very small amount of money that does get an enormous return on its investment in terms of what it gets out of our citizens.”

How could one not imagine President Trump’s royal ambitions whenever Hamilton‘s farcical character of King George III (Justin Matthew Sargent) appeared, full of imperious condescension, the perfect foil for the musical’s American patriots? It was enough to give this audience member chills, a bracing reminder of this country’s origins.

The Orpheum has always championed Miranda’s 2015 musical, having been the first theater to bring Hamilton to Tennessee in 2019, then again in 2021. And while those touring productions were stellar, the new touring production, at the Orpheum until March 2nd, hits differently. Suddenly, it seems more necessary than ever.

From the beginning, Hamilton was a shot across the bow for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its central conceit was to recast the country’s white, propertied “Founding Fathers” as multi-ethnic players fired with the grit and grind of hip hop culture and the soaring emotions of an R&B ballad. And, as Miranda told the New York Times after its opening, “Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional. It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.”

Indeed, the musical’s staunchly pro-immigrant ethos is a heartening reminder that Trump is not our king. This was abundantly clear last night, when, during the “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” scene, after the Marquis de Lafayette (Jared Howelton) says the word “immigrants,” and Hamilton (Michael Natt) joins him in saying, “We get the job done,” there were enthusiastic cheers and whoops in the audience. Clearly, I was not the only one who’s spirits were bolstered.

Natt, as a person of color, perfectly embodied the idealism and the drive of his character, delivering the rhymes and raps — sometimes derived from actual historical texts — with understated aplomb, as did his more aggressive foil, Jimmie “JJ” Jeter as Aaron Burr. Lauren Mariasoosay, of South Asian ancestry, masterfully inhabited the unique mix of Colonial-era decorum and emotionalism of Eliza Hamilton, especially in the anguish she conveys at the show’s final moment, just before the house goes dark. And perhaps none captured the play’s inclusive spirit more than the regal A.D. Weaver as George Washington, who expressed all the gravitas that the role demands.

Washington’s repudiation of demands that he become the young nation’s new king, insisting instead on mounting an election for his successor, was a compelling beacon of hope in these dark times, when an American president dares call himself king and jokes about never needing elections again. In matter-of-factly expressing, with new urgency, what once seemed to be this nation’s imperfectly executed yet fundamental principles — a respect for diversity, the peaceful transfer of power, and the rule of law — Hamilton preserves the ideals that we’ve thus far taken for granted and offers the possibility that they haven’t been forgotten.

Back in 2016, newly elected Vice President Mike Pence attended a performance of Hamilton that caused quite a stir when Brandon Dixon, the actor playing Burr, stepped out to share some thoughts with the audience and Pence after the curtain call. If those words rang true then, they are even more critical today, as all of the first Trump administration’s excesses are amplified beyond belief. See Hamilton if you can, take your sons and daughters, and when you do, remember Dixon’s reminder to Pence:

We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents — or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us.

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Art Art Feature Theater Theater Feature

Young Actors Guild Performs ‘Sunday Morning: Dance to Freedom’

Young thespians conjure up that Sunday morning feeling. (Photo: Juan Self)

Sunday mornings have always held special meaning in the fabric of Black culture. They’re filled with the hustle and bustle of getting ready — women waiting for curling irons to heat to the perfect temperature while men both young and old perfect the knots of their ties.

Congregations then begin to file into church pews as ushers greet them with white gloves. Church mothers fill the front rows dressed as elegantly as the grace they exude. The angelic choir voices sing songs of hope, faith, and praise before a sermon the pastor has mused to echo those sentiments.

“We all know Sunday morning,” Sabrina Norwood, executive director of the Young Actors Guild (YAG), says. “When you think about Sunday morning, that’s you getting up and getting dressed and coming to be rejuvenated. There’s a lot of hand clapping, a lot of foot stomping, and beautiful music that will not only connect you but will reinvigorate you.”

While images of these mornings may be different through the years, themes of hope mixed with the spirit of congregation remain. It’s an important scene to capture, one that YAG is working to encapsulate in their performance, aptly titled Sunday Morning: Dance to Freedom, on February 23rd at the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, located at 620 Parkrose Road in Memphis, TN.

The performance is timely — the organization celebrates Black History Month and its own 34th anniversary this February — but it also reflects the empowerment needed during this political climate. 

“I think we’re all operating in uncertainty,” Norwood says. “One thing that stays true is the arts, and love for the arts, and everybody can relate to it. We hope it’s both healing and reflective to others.”

Community has been a mainstay for the organization since its inception. Founder and creative director Chrysti Chandler recalls coming back to Memphis in 1991 after seeing there were many children who didn’t participate in after-school activities. She was shocked to find out it was because students couldn’t afford it.

“Many of the young people we serve are from underrepresented populations,” Norwood says. “Those students are able to attend our program for little to no cost because we believe arts should be accessible for all.”

Norwood says through Chandler’s vision, more than 41,000 young people have come through their doors. YAG houses a performing arts academy that operates year-round with students ages 8 to 17. And Norwood says being in the Orange Mound community allows young people a platform they haven’t typically had. They are able to showcase their talent and creativity while also giving a voice to their generation.

Norwood says this age group is known for an outspoken and unconventional approach to social justice, and these themes are interwoven through Sunday Morning intentionally.

“This performance is all about a dance to freedom,” Norwood says. “About them finding ways to create their own avenues to bring justice, equality, accessibility to their community, and to create sustainability. This production will provide an opportunity to not only unify our young people but unify our community.” 

As she reflects on YAG’s students, she says they’re a generation who will move mountains, and art gives them the opportunity to advocate on their behalf while celebrating how far their heritage has come. To amplify this, the production will include a performance from Orange Mound-founded band Black Cream. Gospel artist Deborah Manning Thomas — whom Norwood calls a “vocal powerhouse” — will also join. Rooted Souls, a group that developed from parents of YAG, will perform. And Sharonda Mcfield will come in from North Carolina to join the production, along with Kevin Davidson.

“Gospel music certainly is healing,” Norwood says. “We all know that. Just walking through that Sunday morning of getting there and sometimes feeling so burdened down, but leaving feeling like you can take over the world. That’s the experience we want to be able to create, and hopefully it’ll revive us with the climate we’re in. We really want this to be an amazing presentation of revival.” 

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News News Blog Theater

Orpheum Opens $10 Ticket Lottery for Hamilton

Photo: Joan Marcus

Bastard, orphan, son of a whore, and a Scotsman, he grew up to be a hero and a scholar. Who else could I be talking about but everyone’s favorite $10-bill Founding Father, the one and only Alexander Hamilton, star of the revolutionary Broadway musical Hamilton. With 16 performances on the schedule from Tuesday, February 18th, to Sunday, March 2nd, Hamilton is making its way to the Orpheum Theatre. To coincide with the show’s run here, producer Jeffrey Seller and the Orpheum Theatre Group have announced the Ham4Ham digital lottery, offering 40 tickets for $10 for every performance.

The lottery opened on Friday, February 7th, and will close at noon on Thursday, February 13th, for tickets to performances February 18th to 23rd. Subsequent lotteries will open each Friday and close the following Thursday for the upcoming week’s performances. Winners will be notified Thursday between 1 and 4 p.m. via email and mobile push notification, and winners may purchase up to two tickets. 

Photo: Joan Marcus

To enter, download the official Hamilton app (here) via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Patrons must be 18 or older and have a valid photo ID. Only one entry per person will be allowed, and repeat entries and disposable email addresses will be discarded. Tickets are nontransferable and void if resold.

For the full schedule of Hamilton performances at the Orpheum, visit here. The Orpheum will also host a Kids Night on Broadway on Thursday, February 27th, with pre-show interactive activities, photo booth opportunities, and more for the youngest audience members, starting at 6:30 p.m. For that night, if you buy an adult ticket, you can get a free ticket for a child under 18 by calling 901-525-3000, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Availability is limited.) 

Hamilton is recommended for ages 10-plus due its strong language.