FREEDOM'S CHILD!!! With the unforgettable overwhelming response of the acclaimed sold out 50th Anniversary concert production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Manhattan Concert Productions is pleased to announce next year's annual one night only concert presentation of a popular Broadway musical. For its 11th year, MCP's next Broadway concert will be Frank Wildhorn's The Civil War.
THE CIVIL WAR IN CONCERT is set for February 14th, 2021 (Valentine's Day) at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Tony Award nominated performer Tony Yazbeck (currently gearing to open the new musical Flying Over Sunset next month) will make his directorial debut on the New York stage. It will feature Musical Direction by Grammy winning composer, orchestrator, and conductor Jason Howland.
For those who may not know, THE CIVIL WAR features a score by Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy along with an original book by Wildhorn and Gregory Boyd. It centers on life during the American Civil War with the songs being told portraying the war through the viewpoints of Union, Confederate, and slavery. It features notable songs including A HOUSE DIVIDED, FREEDOM'S CHILD, TELL MY FATHER, IF PRAYIN' WERE HORSES. SOMEDAY, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, THE HONOR OF YOUR NAME, and THE GLORY.
The show was first conceived Frank Wildhorn in 1999 following the triumphant success of Jekyll & Hyde and The Scarlett Pimpernel (which also was previously performed as a concert by MCP). He along with Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd got the inspiration through correspondence, diaries, newspaper accounts, speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, even the poetry of Walt Whitman, to communicate the real-life experiences of the soldiers and civilians who endured the war.
It had its world premiere in the Fall of 1998 at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas. Under the direction of Nick Corley, the cast originally starred…
Wildhorn's then wife and powerhouse performer Linda Eder as "Hanna Hopes",
Keith Byron Kirk as "Frederick Douglass",
Tony Award winner Beth Leavel in the dual roles of "Mrs. Lydia Bixby" and "Violet",
Jesse Lenat as "Autolycus Fell",
Capathia Jenkins as "Hope Jackson",
Matt Bogart as "Pvt. Nathaniel Taylor"
and Michael Lanning as "Capt. Emmet Lochran".
Following the Houston, a studio concept album of the show was released in 1999 from Atlantic Records. The concept album was released as both a 2 disc recording and a highlights album (which debuted on Billboard's Top Country Albums at #48. It featured the incredible talents of Linda Eder, Hootie and the Blowfish, Maya Angelou, Betty Buckley, and more.
THE CIVIL WAR officially arrived on Broadway in the Spring of 1999 at the St. James Theatre. It was a huge flop running for only 35 previews and 61 regular performances. Under the direction of Tony winner Jerry Zaks, the cast featured….
Keith Byron Kirk as "Frederick Douglass",
Michel Bell as "Clayton Toler",
Beth Leavel in the dual roles of "Mrs. Lydia Bixby" and recast as "Mabel"),
Leo Burmesteras "Autolycus Fell",
Capathia Jenkins as "Hope Jackson" (renamed "Harriet Jackson",
Matt Bogart as "Pvt. Nathaniel Taylor" (renamed "Pvt. Sam Taylor"),
Michael Lanning as "Capt. Emmet Lochran".
and Irene Molloy as "Sarah McEwen".
Despite being a huge flop, the musical was well received for its score and earning a cult following. It was nominated for 2 Tony Awards in 1999 for Best Musical and Best Original Score. However, it lost both its categories.
Today, it's still being performed regionally.
Who is excited?!!!
Manhattan Concert Productions Will Present THE CIVIL WAR, Directed by Tony Yazbeck, in February 2021
Manhattan Concert Productions has announced their next show will be The Civil War. The show will be directed by Tony Yazbeck, and will be presented on February 14, 2021 at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.
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