The Scottsboro Boys- Lyceum Theatre, Broadway

I saw The Scottsboro Boys on December 8, and it was a very emotionally moving and powerful show and should be required viewing for American history buffs or anyone interested in civil rights and human rights.  It tells the true story of nine African-American teenagers and men who were falsely accused of rape and languished in prison for many unnecessary years as a result. The show is told through the guise of a minstrel show, which adds some humor to the surroundings and possibly softens some rough edges, although some sharp points still poke through.

First, the drawbacks: The cast was very talented but I wish more of an effort had been made to distinguish the individual characters and give them time in the spotlight.  Haywood Patterson (Joshua Henry) was the most fleshed out and the focal point of the play, with Clarence Norris (Rodney Hicks) and Eugene Williams (Jeremy Gumbs) also getting some dimensionality, but for the most part I found it hard to attribute which traits belonged to which character, although that could also have been due to my vantage point in the balcony. I also wondered why Eugene was played by an age-appropriate actor but Roy Wright wasn't, as historically they were 13 and 14 respectively at the time of their arrest.  Not that I didn't think Julius Thomas III was great, but he blended in with the other prisoners at times and was only distinguishable as Roy when he talked to his brother Andy (Derrick Cobey).  I was glad that I was familiar with some of the songs from hearing a demo CD previously, because at times the cast's voices didn't carry as well over the music (again, this could have been due to my seat location).

Now, a more positive breakdown of what I liked: I liked the pervasiveness of gallow humor which made me laugh and cringe at the same time. To be clear, most of the jokes were not aimed at the Scottsboro Boys themselves, but rather at the white authority figures (lawyers/guards/sherriffs) they encounter played by African-American actors, the two minstrel "end-men" Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo. Any jokes aimed at the Scottsboro Boys come from these two characters in their various villainous roles, perhaps the worst being their "Electric Chair" song/nightmare which featured some wonderful tap performances by Jeremy Gumbs, Kendrick Jones, and Julius Thomas III.   

At this point, I want to compliment Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon on their performances as Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo for their wonderful irreverent portrayals, mainly for their turns as Samuel Liebowitz and the Alabama Attorney General. They balanced trite jokes with sharp humor and brought a sinisterness to their comic characters.  John Cullum presides over the proceedings as the Interlocutor, the only white character in the show. Honestly, there is no one else I would rather see play an arrogant, old white racist SOB more than Mr. Cullum.  (I wonder how much this dynamic would change if/when JC Montgomery plays the role). His role is mostly to move the proceedings forward and occasionally he becomes involved in the action as a judge or governor, but he is not a real antagonist.  

I thought the use of blackface in the show somewhat worked in that it was for a short period of time and had the specific purpose of showing the edge of how far the Scottsboro Boys were willing to go to celebrate/lampoon their trials and references how the first four Boys released performed in vaudeville afterwards. But I'm not sure if it was fully needed although possibly expected/wondered about by some of the audience.  After they take their makeup off and leave the Interlocutor alone on stage was one of the most human moments in the play. I have a similar feeling about Joshua Henry's affectations in "Nothing". I think it more clearly served a purpose but was a bit odd/cringe-inducing at the same time. Mr. Henry made it work well by juxtaposing it with Haywood's anger. It's as if he realizes he has to perform that way for the white onlookers to listen to him.  I would really love to get opinions from the cast members about their feelings towards these moments in the show that most specifically recall the minstrel show format and tendency to denigrate/lampoon its subjects.

Joshua Henry gave a great performance as Haywood Patterson, who knew his beliefs and convictions and stuck to them, determined to survive while remaining honest. The scenes of him learning to read and write by writing letters in the dirt under the teaching of Roy Wright were an amazing piece of stagecraft and a powerful emotional moment in the show.  Rodney Hicks gave a fine performance as Clarence Norris. I had never seen Mr. Hicks perform, but was familiar with him from Rent and a "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" episode he was featured in, and he portrayed Clarence as a fire-brand angry and eager for an outlet.  Christian Dante White and James T. Lane amuse as the two white women who invented the rape. The show ends in a small scene showing the legacy of the Scottsboro Boys and a glimmer of hope for the future, tying up the thread of a silent character who has been watching the proceedings.  The show's score by John Kander and Fred Ebb serves the story and enhances the proceedings but I would not want to listen to it outside of the show because the visual performances of the songs are needed in order to get their full meanings across.

This show reminded me a lot of the musical Parade, which takes place in Atlanta beginning in 1913 and focuses on the trial of Leo Frank, who was also a target of Southern prejudice. That is another show I recommend for viewing, to ensure that the situations and trials portrayed in these two shows never happen again.  It's the most emotionally wrenching show I can remember seeing.

For more information about the men on their trials, this Wikipedia article is fairly extensive and also contains references and external links for additional detail and information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsboro_Boys