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The Civil War The Civil War is written by Frank Wildhorn, who brought to Broadway Jekyll & Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Having seen all three productions, I feel The Civil War is Wildhorn's best score. For The Civil War, it seemed that every song was crafted with passion and love, from the heart and soul of Wildhorn. The score is flavored with gospel, bluegrass, country, southern waltz, and at times pop and rock. The Civil War does not contain a true "book" for its score to play to; instead the creators use letters, diaries, historical documents and poetry to describe what people were feeling during the war. There's no attempt to give a reason for war, but the score gives understanding and a voice to what the people felt and saw during the war, a more personal and emotional view, and that works exceptionally well in this production. The set contains four various size columns, a la Tara from "Gone with the Wind", but these columns are ravaged by war with holes in the granite, etc. Between the two middle columns is an iron walkway and underneath the walkway is where the orchestra is placed. Behind all this is a battered brick wall. What adds so much to the mood and feel is the magnificent lighting by Howell Binkley and projections by Wendall K. Harrington. Throughout the evening, scrims come from the fly rail space on which are projected pictures, facts, dates and places. At times these would contain the locations where the soldiers were stationed, or where the battle was about to happen, then projections of the numbers of dead and wounded. At times you could hear small gasps from the audience because of the high volume of death in this war. Binkley uses sun drenched yellows and oranges to reflect sweat and pain, or dark seething reds for bloodshed. For some of the gospel numbers he uses purples, lavenders, and pinks to create spirituality. This touring production has some of the best singing I have heard in a long time; not a weak voice in the company. The harmonies were tight, at times floating with ethereal beauty into the music hall. Also at times they would drop back from a note, as a full group, singing softly, creating an effect that was overwhelming. Larry Gatlin totally won me over. Gatlin has a gorgeous tenor voice that fits musical theatre music like a glove. He could belt to the back wall, but then pull back and go into falsetto in a second. In his act one solo, "Virginia," Gatlin almost sways into operatic tones; it's a powerful song that was sung superbly. His act two solo, "Last Waltz for Dixie," again hits the jackpot, this time with incredible harmonies from the men in the cast. It was just amazing to hear. The cast is loaded to the top with magnificent singers. Dawana Gudger-Richardson brings the audience to its knees with her brilliant solo in "Someday". I adored her. David Jennings and Gwen Jackson brought tears to my eyes with their powerful duet, "If Prayin' Were Horses". The staging here is perfect. The two performers are married slaves, and the husband has been sold to another owner, so the couple is separated. Jackson turns to the audience, tears in her eyes, saying, "Can't you white people see and feel what this is doing to us?". I could sense some audience members shifting uncomfortably in their seats, but that's the beauty of theatre - it causes you to react, to be moved. Later in act two, Jennings leads the company in bringing down the house with "River Jordan", an emothional gospel song. Royal Reed delivers a haunting and deeply felt song, "Tell My Father," about a boy dying on the battlefield amid the strewn bodies, telling his father not to cry. Reed sings with such passion and pain, it breaks your heart. The entire scene and song reminded me of "Momma Look Sharp" from 1776. Nicolette Hart is the lone blonde girl in the company. She portrays the wife of one of the men at battle, but she could be the spouse of any man fighting out there, which really gave her an organic "earth daughter" role that beautifully fits Wildhorn's theme of universal pain and loss. Hart sings the sad ballad "I Never Knew His Name" in a hospital, men dying all around her, and she sings of trying to help them. Steve Gannon's solo, "Sarah," is another song that hits all the right chords in both song and emotion. The choreography is more musical staging than dance. But the small gestures of arms, hands, and feet work well within the score. The "hidden" themes in the staging are such a delight to discover as the evening unfolds. For example, the African American cast never shares the stage with the rest of the company until the ending song, "The Glory," creating a very powerful scene. I wonder how much was changed from The Civil War's Broadway production to this tour. It did receive a Tony nomination for Best Musical, but closed almost two weeks after being shut out at the Tony Awards. What I respect and admire so much about Dallas Summer Musicals is that, for every hundredth repeat of one of the old warhorses in the musical catalog they bring to the Music Hall, they also bring in new works, musicals that just did not succeed on Broadway, but might have a life after a Broadway run. I am so glad I got to see The Civil War; it was a very moving evening of theatre. To hear this brilliant score sung with the most beautiful voices fills your heart with song, but hopefully more so with compassion for your fellow man. The Civil War Playing through June 24 at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Tickets are available at The Box Office at Preston Center, 6013 Berkshire Lane (no service charge). Tickets also available at any Ticketmaster outlet including Foley's, Fiesta, & Kroger's, or charge by phone at 214-631-ARTS, or order online at www.ticketmaster.com. |
