42nd Street Moon presents THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, a tour de force at San Francisco’s Gateway Theatre
By Carol Canter. Photo Credit: 42nd Street Moon
Haunting, heartbreaking and profound, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS at 42nd St. Moon is a magnificent production about a shameful chapter in U.S. racial history that will break your heart and entertain you, while reminding us all why we need great live theatre.
We laughed, we wept, we were enraged, and we were sickened by the blatant injustice that destroyed the lives of nine innocent Black teenagers who were hauled off a freight train in Paint Rock, AL on March 25, 1931. They became known as The Scottsboro Boys after they were arrested, charged, and convicted of the rape of two white women in 1931 without evidence or due process.
The tragic irony of the opening of this breathtaking musical about the consequences of racism just weeks after the death of Carolyn Bryant Donham, an 88 year old white woman from Mississippi, was not lost on many in the audience. For it was her false accusation against black teen Emmett Till in 1955 that led to his brutal murder, one of our nation’s most infamous lynchings.
To say the message remains relevant today is a sad understatement. I couldn’t help but think of the case of the Central Park Five, in which five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongfully accused of gang raping a female jogger in New York’s Central Park in 1989, or of the ongoing brutality people of color are confronted with daily.
And yet, along with the rage and tears, you’ll fall in love with every one of The Scottsboro Boys for their humanity and courage as they come of age in prison. The cast is excellent, using the complicated lens of minstrelsy — complete with the cakewalk, the dance dating back to plantation days — to convey the period of the South in the 1930s.
Marcus J. Paige, in the role of Haywood, is a standout for his beautifully resonant voice and passionate portrayal of a truth teller who refuses to lie or play Southern politics even at the cost of his freedom. The legendary songwriting team of Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) have created a strong musical score that can be exhilarating, hilarious, and heart-wrenching, with titles like “Alabama Ladies, “Electric Chair,” and “Make Friends with the Truth.”
So hie thee to the Gateway Theatre between now and May 21 to experience THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, which earned 12 Tony Award-Nominations including “Best Musical.”
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And after you do, consider attending two thematically-related cultural offerings now in San Francisco. Both are unique and powerful shows that confront racism in provocative ways. The first is a play, the second an art exhibition.
“The Ni¿¿er Lovers” is the first full-fledged play created by the brilliant composer, songwriter, musician, performer Marc Anthony Thomson. He too uses the lens of minstrelsy to produce an exploration of Race, “through a nouveau minstrel show, with song, scenery and subject matter — but completely controlled and through the lens of Black creation.”
“The Ni¿¿er Lovers” plays at the Magic Theatre through May 21, 2023. Click here for more information.
“An Archaeology of Silence” presents 25 works of sculpture and painting by the artist Kehinde Wiley at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. His works stand as elegies and monuments, underscoring the fraught terms in which Black people are rendered visible, especially when at the hands of systemic violence. Click here to read my review of the exhibition.
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WHAT: 42nd Street Moon’s presents THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS
THE TEAM:
Company: The cast of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS will feature Alejandro Eustaquio as “Ozie (Ruby),” Michael Patrick Gaffney as “Interlocutor,” Jaiden Griffin as “Eugene,” Albert Hodge as “Mr. Bones,” Elizabeth Jones as “Lady,” Kahlil Leneus as “Andy (brother Leroy),” Miles Meckling as “Willie,” Royal Mickens as “Leroy ‘Roy’ (brother Andy),” Marcus Paige as “Haywood,” Jon-David Randle as “Charlie (Victoria),” Anthony Rollins-Mullens as “Mr. Tambo,” Mercury Van Sciver as “Olen,” and Dedrick Weathersby as “Clarence (Preacher).”
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Book: David Thompson
Director: Brandon Jackson
Music Director: Diana Lee
Choreographer: Kimberly Valmore
Stage Manager: Genevieve Pabon
Assistant Stage Manager: Emma Gifford
Scenic Designer and Technical Director: Stewart Lyle
Lighting Designer: Sean Keehan
Costume Designer: Rachael Heiman
WHEN: May 4–21, 2023
Wednesday-Thursday 7:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 p.m.; Saturday 6:00 p.m.; Sunday 3:00 p.m.
(Saturday Matinee May 13 at 1:00 p.m.)
WHERE: Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111.
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 55 minutes, with no intermission.
TICKETS: $35 — $80 and may be purchased online at 42ndstmoon.org/the-scottsboro-boys or by calling (415) 255–8207.
