Lincoln Theatre performance to take audience on 'journey' through civil rights movement

The civil rights movement has been immortalized in history books, which cover hallmarks such as the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington.

On Saturday, Converging Arts Columbus will transport those stories off the page and into the Lincoln Theatre.

Beginning at 7 p.m., “The Journey: Civil Rights” program will present an artistic trek through the period, featuring gospel, jazz, poetry, dance and speeches from figures including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

There will be performances by the Columbus Cultural Orchestra, Columbus Dance Theatre, Milton Ruffin Gospel Chorale, Tapestry Performing Arts Company and spoken-word artists. A narrator will guide the audience through events that occurred from 1953 to 1969.

The show is a celebration of Black music and culture, according to its creator and director Destiny Coleman.

“Every single piece that you hear or see will be coordinated with an event in civil rights history,” said Coleman, a board member of Converging Arts Columbus. “You'll hear Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye. It's an intermixing and intertwining of singers, dancers and the Columbus Cultural Orchestra onstage together.”

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How did the show come about?

Coleman said she was inspired by the MLK Day marches she participated in throughout her childhood. They’d culminate in a production by Black organizations at the former Franklin County Veterans Memorial.

Coleman wanted to create something similar and inspire diverse audiences.

“I want someone in the audience to look up and say, ‘That could be me,’” she said. “I think it's so incredibly important that we're showcasing artists in this community.”

The forthcoming show is the second installment of "The Journey" series, which Coleman presented in 2019 as part of the citywide celebration titled "I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100."

"The Journey: Civil Rights" was originally developed and commissioned by Opera Columbus. It is one of several productions put on by Converging Arts Columbus in its two seasons. The organization was founded to foster more collaboration in the city, combining vocal music with dance, theater, multimedia, chamber music and other disciplines.

Gospel music will be a major component of the show

Thanks to the Milton Ruffin Gospel Chorale, “The Journey: Civil Rights” will have a considerable amount of gospel music, including “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood.

“Richard Smallwood is probably one of the most celebrated gospel artists of our time,” said Milton Ruffin, the choral director for the Milton Ruffin Gospel Chorale and musical director for the entire show.

“He has a very unique style, this kind of hybrid of classical and gospel. He’s one of the people who stand right in the gap of tradition and contemporary. So, it celebrates a little bit of the past and a little bit of the future, and a lot of right now. I think the piece will speak to a lot of people.”

Ruffin said he was taught to use music as a way to respond to injustice.

“Do I go out in the street and protest and hold up a sign? No, I don't do that,” he said.  “But I do have music and I do give my message and support through music and through the church.”

What can the audience expect from the dancers?

As the audience is enjoying the musical numbers, they will see performances by dancers from the Tapestry Performing Arts Company.

During one song, they will bring to life the famous 1960 sit-in protests at the lunch counter in the Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“We are an organization that loves causes and bringing things to life through dance and through the art,” said Lorii Wallace, executive director of the Tapestry Performing Arts Company. “There are things that make people think, but then there are also things that move people emotionally through the music. So, I love the fact that ‘The Journey’ will have some of both.”

Wallace said she choreographed the dance numbers but also allowed the dancers the freedom to create.

“I like to tell my dancers all the time that they have to become the music,” she said. “So, if someone in the audience was not able to hear, they should still be able to tell what the story is and what the intentions are based upon what they see.”

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Dancers from the Columbus Dance Theatre will be performing to notable spoken-word pieces and speeches, including “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“It's an honor,” said Seth Wilson, director of Columbus Dance Theatre. “I've grown up hearing those things. A lot of ideas just naturally come to mind with movement for those works.”

Wilson said rehearsals have been "emotionally charged."

"Going through the struggle and the fight and portraying that, it gets intense," he said. "But the movement just feels so good, so it does feel like a release and a relief.”

Wilson said participating in the show was a no-brainer.

“Me being a Black man in America and knowing about civil rights and the struggle that we have endured in this country, I, without hesitation, agreed to do it,” he said. “Especially the performance being at the Lincoln Theatre right in our hometown and community, I felt like we were obligated to do this.”

Wilson said one of his goals is to show that Black people can perform classical dance. That mission to put a spotlight on Black artists is also shared by Ruffin.

"I don't think there have ever been enough spaces to actually present our art unapologetically," he said. "There's so many facets to (Black art), and it's ever-evolving."

At a glance

“The Journey: Civil Rights” will take place 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Standard tickets are $32.50; children 12 and younger will be admitted for $15. A free dress rehearsal for students will take place on Friday. For more information, visit convergingartscolumbus.org.

ethompson@dispatch.com

@miss_ethompson

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Converging Arts Columbus presents 'The Journey: Civil Rights'