Going to School at the Theater

Do you love learning about new parts of history you haven’t heard about before? How do you feel about musical theater? I love the nexus of these two things.

At this point, most everyone has heard of Hamilton which I saw for a third time last month. Then last week I saw Mexodus, which may be the next evolution in delivering little-known history in a unique format.

Maybe you saw Hamilton when it returned to the Fox Theater in September? The show first opened at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City on August 6, 2015. Since then, more than 5 million tickets have been sold at that theater alone. Add to that all the theaters around the world where it has appeared over the past decade. The show’s unique fusion of hip-hop and rap used to tell the story of the previously largely unknown first Secretary of the Treasury was groundbreaking and continues to grow its huge fan base.

And once ground is broken, next generations use that as a foundation to continue to innovate. The creators of Mexodus very likely drew inspiration from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work. They impressively deliver a performance that blends historical storytelling with a creative live-looped performance.

The title refers to the southern Underground Railroad, through which an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 enslaved individuals escaped to Mexico between 1829 and 1865. The two-person cast manages to tell the story through dialogue and song, each playing multiple instruments, and using 48 microphones with live-looping technology to deliver a truly unique experience.

Mexodus was only at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta for a short time and has already moved on for runs in Chicago and Boston. If you have an opportunity to experience it someday, I certainly recommend it.

Good news! Two additional opportunities to attend a show that tells a little-known story in a unique way are heading our way.

The Tony-winning Come From Away will be at the Legacy Theater in Tyrone from April 16 to May 15, 2027. It tells the true story of September 11, 2001 in Gander, Newfoundland, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe unexpectantly landed there. Another pairing of a little-known part of history in a unique show format, the 12 person cast plays 100 characters with a very minimalist set using 12 chairs and two tables.

Another Tony-winner, Operation Mincemeat, will be coming to the Fox Theater in Atlanta the week of July 6-11, 2027. I’ve been fortunate to see it on Broadway and the West End in London. The show tells the story of a little-known British deception operation in 1943 that was pivotal in the Allies taking Sicily at a critical point in World War II. A five-person, triple-threat (singer, dancer, actor) cast achieves super-fast character and costume changes to play all 30 roles. It is a high-energy, fun, educational romp.

Do you have a favorite musical that doubles as a history lesson? I’d love to hear about it!