Randuwa II: Arena Stage: American Prophet: Frederick Douglass In His Own Words

Finally, it has arrived. Set to open in the summer of 2020 (then postponed by the pandemic), a new musical by Charles Randolph-Wright and Marcus Hummon has just made its world premiere at Arena Stage here in Washington, DC. "American Prophet: Frederick Douglass in His Own Words" takes us on a journey through the life of this great American orator and abolitionist. He starts out as an orphaned boy on his own taken from his grandmother--a piece of property tossed between two brothers, one running a plantation on Maryland's eastern shore and other running a household in Baltimore; in short order becomes a duet. Enter Anna, a free Black woman with whom Frederick becomes smitten, then engaged, and then married.

While all the historical greatness that is commonly known about Frederick Douglass is present, elevated is the remarkable role that Anna Murray Douglass played in his success. The production was guided by the insights of Kenneth Morris Jr., Douglass' great, great-grandson.

In a life so rich there are many details that must be left out. Yet, so many were left in that at times, the narrative became muddled and lost its meaning. At one point toward the end of the second act, I starting wondering what the point was. What was it that I was supposed to come away thinking. The answer came with a rousing reprise of the song that ended the first act, "We Need A Fire". It's an anthem, a call to arms, a plea to engage in social justice and equality activism. The finale re-united all of the cast back on stage and drove the audience to a standing ovation. Not an easy feat when you consider that the median age was probably 70, and more than a few members of the sold, SRO, audience needed mobility assistance.

I'm going to go a little backward from my usual tack and save the actor's performances for last.

The set was beautiful. Solid and full of metaphorical reference. The main stage bore hints of the auction block, and the initial feeling was very much like being trapped in wooden crate. As the show progressed the seemingly solid facades, split open and in concert with the lighting design transformed into majestic architecture suddenly invoking the grand columns of the US Capitol. The result was very affecting. The costumes were beautiful and were completed with the finest mid-19th century detailing. Hats off to all three of these designers.

The music was very much contemporary pop in tone. Many of the numbers ended with crescendoing notes belted out loud and held long. There were also quieter ballads, but even these wanted to end with a bang. Not every song needs this sort of treatment.

The cast was talented and enjoyable to watch. The lion share of the show's success rested on the shoulders of the lead, Cornelius Smith Jr. Through no fault of his own, the show opens in a quiet, somber manner with a soliloquies and one of the few gentle songs. With no way of knowing what was coming next, it left me deflated. We were packed in like sardines, a cluster of late arrivals created enough distraction to prevent me from otherwise engaging. Over time, and most notably, in the second act, Mr. Smith's presence picked up considerably. Given all of the powerful voices around him, I also came to the conclusion, that while very good, he just wasn't as powerful a singer. And everyone has an off day.

The tide turned for me when one of the members of the Ensemble playing a minor character called Demby took the stage--presence times 10! That's when I thought, give it a chance, let it coalesce. And basically, it did. The co-lead, if you will, Kristolyn Lloyd, also gave a fine performance, perhaps a bit tamped down at times in an effort to match Mr. Smith's resonance. So it fell on the members of the Ensemble taking on various minor roles along the timeline of Frederick Douglass' life to really shine, and they did. The aforementioned Demby played by one extremely charismatic Christopher B. Portley was a real stand-out. As was Cicily Daniels who played Douglass' grandmother. Kurt Boehm in his turn as the slave beating Christian minister, Reverend Gore, and Thomas Adrian Simpson as Abraham Lincoln also gave the audience cheers worthy performances.

It is an ambitious show that highlights (and even sheds some new light on) one of the greatest Americans who ever lived. The messages around freedom, white-supremacy, and institutional hypocrisy could not be more timely. In spite of a few shortcomings, am I glad I went? I really am. Would I go again? Probably not, but I would also wager that on a different day at a different performance the peccadilloes that I pointed out might not even be worth noticing.

Does the show have a future? I would yes, definitely. There are plenty of quality regional theatres that would find this an appealing addition to their seasons. Will it go to Broadway--every producer's hope--it's possible. DC has proven quite the charm lately sending off the likes of "Come From Away," "Dear Evan Hansen," and "A Strange Loop." That's two Tony's for Best New Musical and one Pulitzer Prize. And I can say having seen both "Come From Away" and "A Strange Loop" here in DC before they transited to Broadway, they were both definitely ready. I'm not sure that this one is, but I would be surprised if someone were take a chance on it, and I wouldn't be disappointed if I were wrong.