Marcus Hummon Premieres FREDERICK DOUGLASS: THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN PROPHET Tonight

Marcus Hummon, who penned numerous country hits including the Grammy-winning, "Bless the Broken Road," and playwright of six award-winning musicals, has announced his newest creation, a concert theatrical adaptation of the great American abolitionist and social reformer, Frederick Douglass.

Commissioned by Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville, FREDERICK DOUGLASS: THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN PROPHET, will detail his early years as a slave and their relationship to his later vision. Hummon found inspiration in Douglass's autobiography: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave."

Says Hummon, "People sometimes describe the quintessential American story as rags to riches -- the story of a self-made man. With Frederick Douglass we have a deeper American success story; from slave to a president's confidante, a successful author, a celebrated orator, a statesman and social reformer. In the tradition of prophets who speak truth that transcends the time they live in, Frederick has a lot to say to us today."

A Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington descendant, Kenneth Morris, commented on Hummon's work adding, "I am honored that Mr. Hummon created this concert adaptation of the life of my great ancestor, Frederick Douglass. It is extraordinary that the legacy of the former slave-turned-statesman continues to inspire people all over the world today.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS: THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN PROPHET, will star actor-singer Bakari King as Frederick and will include the choir Inversion, under the direction of Dave Ragland. The work will also feature Heather Aikin, Patrick James, Jeff Lewis, Kelsey Onwuzuruigbo, and Jonathan Yudkin.

The show will premiere tonight, May 15 at Christ Church Cathedral, 7:30PM. Additional performances include the Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church on May 17, Benton Chapel, Vanderbilt on May 23 and the Thistle Stop Café on May 24. For more information, visit fredericktheprophet.com.

Hummon has enjoyed a successful career as a songwriter, recording artist, composer, playwright and author. As a songwriter his hits include: "Bless The Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts), "Cowboy Take Me Away," (The Dixie Chicks), "Born To Fly" (Sara Evans) and "One Of These Days" (Tim McGraw). "Bless The Broken Road," won the Grammy for Best Country Song in 2005 and over the years he has garnered five #1 BMI songwriting awards. As a playwright, Hummon has written six musicals and an opera. WARRIOR, THE PIPER and TUT were featured Off-Broadway as part of the New York New Musical Festival. WARRIOR and AMERICAN DUET received invitations to be work-shopped at the prestigious Eugene O'Neill Summer Conference. His opera, SURRENDER ROAD, was supported by Opera America, and ATLANTA enjoyed a three-month run at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Hummon's children's book, Anytime, Anywhere, was published by Atheneium Press, a division of Simon& Schuster, in 2009. Recent projects include scoring the documentary film, LOST BOY HOME and a cantata, THE PASSION, commissioned by Christ Church Cathedral.

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