A Musical Collage...

Ford's Theatre song cycle hits the right notes The Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd, Jack Murphy musical Civil War is a multi-media spectacular that packs an emotional punch.  Ford's production offers incredibly strong vocals highlighted by a two-story set, moving stage and backlit by a video montage.  The play covers race relations in the U.S. from the outbreak of the War Between The States to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.  Songs meld from one to the next in this fast-paced performance, which is best described as a song cycle or theatrical concert.   Mixing blues, soul, country, folk and rock music, the show is a definite winner.  Politically alternating songs give the piece its story structure, as we bounce back and forth between North and South perspectives.  At a point deep within the war (which both sides envisioned as a quick victory) we realize the songs have become the same -- odes to a lost way of life, wondering why the fighting ever began and a longing to return home.  It's an emotional cost of war, which we are experiencing in this country even today, as battles take longer than expected to "win" and the people fighting begin to wonder why they agreed to enlist in the first place.   Utilizing the diverse cast to sing for each side of the spectrum adds to this everyman and everywoman idea that the people fighting each other are members of the same families and the same nation.  However, the musical's focus that the sole cause of the war was slavery and its depiction of Abraham Lincoln as an almost saint-like figure gives it a one-dimensionality which belies the complexity of the conflict.   First produced in 1999, Civil War bases many of its numbers on actual people or letters written during the conflict.  A Nurse's Diary was inspired by Hannah Ropes, a nurse for the Union soldiers.  The song Sarah was based upon Sullivan Ballou who was a Union soldier and whose wife was named Sarah.  The song takes its tone from a letter he wrote to her before his death.  Additionally, the works of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln are also included.   Director Jeff Calhoun and costume designer Wade Laboissonniere have chosen to dress the cast in a mix of modern and period clothing.  This brings a timeliness to the story, for as we watch young men in jeans sing about being afraid to die, one can hardly not think of soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan.  And when the characters on stage realize the true cost of war to the individuals fighting it -- the post traumatic stress disorder, the wounded men, the orphans, the broken families -- one can't help but make a comparison to the soldiers coming back from Iraq who are being denied care by VA hospitals.   Aaron Rhyne's videos cover the stage with an aged style of frayed edges and sepia tones, which gives a resemblance to an ever-changing photo album.  The videos take the forefront at the end of the production when name after name of the over 3 million soldiers who fought in the war appear on the stage covering it in white light.   Among the songs, several standout, including: If Prayin' Were Horses, Missing You (My Bill), Candle in the Window, Father How Long?, Freedom's Child, and Northbound Train.   This musical treat is running until May 24th, so there is plenty of time to enjoy it.  If the evening I saw Civil War is any indication -- a standing ovation -- audiences are embracing it and loving its high caliber cast.   Further Resources: The Civil War (1998 Studio Cast) Civil War forum Lincoln 200th Anniversary Festival The Darker Side of Lincoln Civil War photographs Winter Soldier Peace Resources   Show Details: The Civil War Written by: Frank Wildhorn, Gregory Boyd and Jack Murphy Music by: Frank Wildhorn Produced by: Ford's Theatre at 511 10th Street NW, Washington DC (between E & F Streets)   Ticket Info: Run Dates: March 27th to May 24th, 2009 Showtimes: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7.30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 2.30 pm & 7.30 pm -- additional matinees on May 14th at Noon and May 21st at 11 am Ticket Prices: $16 -- $52 Box Office: 202/397-SEAT, 1-800-899-2367 or online Show Length: 2 hours -- no intermission   Cast & Crew: Director: Jeff Calhoun Music Director: Jay Crowder Vocal Director: Dave Clemmons Designers: Tobin Ost (Set),  Michael Gilliam (Lighting),   Wade Laboissonniere (Costume),  David Budries (Sound),  Aaron Rhyne (Video) and Cookie Jordan (Wig and Make-up) Cast: Sarah Darling, Elliot Dash, Eleasha Gamble, Michael Goodwin, Darryl Reuben Hall, Sean Jenness, Matthew John Kacergis, Kellee Knighten, Michael Lanning, Kingsley Leggs, Michael "Tuba" McKinsey, Aaron Reeder, Bart Shatto, Timothy Shaw, Chris Sizemore, Stephen Gregory Smith and Bligh Voth   Wednesday, April 22nd performance reviewed by Rich See