30 Days Of NYMF: Day 27 CROSS THAT RIVER

Cross That River
By Geoff Cohen

Synchronicity cannot be ignored. I'm in Phoenix visiting my Sister, when she says, "Hey, I want to take you to this museum that is like 5 minutes away." While suburban corporate offices don't usually house high quality art galleries, here I am looking at incredible paintings and sculpture depicting the old west when my phone rings. I answer and hear, "Hey Geoff, this is Andrew Wilk. We worked together back at Paper Mill and I found you on Facebook." As I stroll Bashas' Gallery of Cowboy and Native American Art, Andrew describes a show he has been working on, talking about Blue, a black escaped slave making a new life for himself in the Wild West. I pause in front of a painting by Harold Holden showing a black cowboy, listening as Andrew describes the show and telling me about his life since we last met. He tells me about his four Emmy Awards. And he talks more about writing the book for this musical.

As I walk through the galleries, he paints a verbal picture for me, talking about a singer and songwriter named Allan Harris and his songs about the lives of people in the Wild West. He talks about mail order brides and cattle drives, gamblers and slaves. The show has been developed, he tells me, at the Eugene O'Neill Center.

Fast forward two months, and I sit in an audition where Charles Wallace is singing during his callback for the show. Andrew and producer Pat Harris sit to my left. Music Director David Madore plays the piano. Charles starts singing. Allan Harris, not only the composer but a terrific performer who will play the lead role of Blue, moves around Charles, urging him on. Charles sings "Mule Skinner" as Allan circles him. Charles breathes between phrases. Allan asks "What do you remember?" and Charles replies "flowers in her hair", Allan pulls more from him, saying "Tell me brother" and Charles and Allan sing together, "Bring your wagon home." Charles drops to his knees, ending the song as Allan hovers above him.

You know the feeling, when the hair on the back of your neck stands up?

I write this looking forward to seeing Allan, Charles, Wendy Fox, Whitney Bashor, Joe Melendez, Peter Cormican, Soara-Joye Ross, Brandon Gill, Tony Perry, and Michael McGuirk bring CROSS THAT RIVER to life in the TBG Theatre, their work framed by the elegant designs of Anne Patterson, Matt Frey, and Michael Clark.

Join us for the journey!