Review: 3 SUMMERS OF LINCOLN at La Jolla Playhouse

“3 Summers of Lincoln” at the La Jolla Playhouse brings you a vibrant musical about a friendship between President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass that changed the course of American history. 

Though Lincoln and Douglass only met three times throughout their lives, the musical explores the final three summers of Lincoln’s life during the Civil War, which included those meetings, and how this relationship, which started as antagonists and evolved into allies, influenced Lincoln, the country, and the war.

It opens in early 1862, with soldiers on a battlefield, exhausted from fighting on “day four hundred and thirty of this ninety-day war.”  Dispatches and updates are communicated by telegraph, which is fantastically choreographed with tap dancers Evan Ruggiero, who opens the show, and Alaman Diadhiou in the second act.

Lincoln (Ivan Hernandez) is frustrated that the battles aren’t being won. Still, he feels he can’t get rid of the self-aggrandizing General McClellan (Eric Anderson) because he at least has the troops in a fighting formation, if nothing else. Meanwhile, Frederick Douglass (Quentin Earl Darrington) is frustrated at Lincoln's lack of progress and tentativeness to take action. 

In the beginning, Lincoln was a rule of law follower and an overthinker, almost paralyzed by trying to find a solution to appease everyone.  Douglass is an impassioned man of action and  does not have this problem as he strides on stage and declares, “My name is Frederick Douglass, and let it be known, here I am.”

Douglass is buoyed by his equally impassioned children, his son Lewis (Magic Mosely) and his daughter Rosetta (Naomi Tiana Rodgers), who are as frustrated by Lincoln’s lack of progress as their father.

Lincoln has some allies in his white house corner: his wife Mary (Carmen Cusack), her friend and dressmaker Elizabeth (Saycon Sengbloh), and his valet William (John-Andrew Morrison).  He needs all the friends he can get because his cabinet is filled with skeptics and the openly hostile and derisive Postmaster General Montgomery Blair (Geno Carr).

As the musical unfolds, we see how the events of these three fateful summers set everyone on a course whose ramifications can still be felt today.

Darrington is phenomenal as the dynamic and charismatic Douglass.  He commands the stage, and when combined with Mosley and Rodgers, their vocals and presence are undeniable.

Hernandez's Lincoln has a more reticent arc, from cerebral and rule-bound to a man determined to make change happen under his watch. Cusack’s Mary deeply mourns, which does nothing to dull her politically astute mind. Thanks to Elizabeth, who, in an excellent performance by Sengbloh, is confident and pragmatic, though she is also in mourning, Mary turns her grief into action to help the soldiers.

Anderson's General McClellan is deeply dismissive of anything coming from Lincoln; he is a delightfully pompous villain who never met a moment for self-promotion that he didn’t take.  As the Postmaster, Carr is a more contemptible villain (the woman next to me hissed whenever he arrived on stage) but gets his comeuppance when Cusack’s Mary takes him down a few pegs in her honeyed southern tones. 

Derek McLane's scenic design emphasizes communication and the power of words with the printing press blocks on all the drops. This is a striking backdrop, but it can sometimes make some impactful projections by David Bengali and Hana S. Kim feel a little overwhelmed. Amanda Zieve's lighting design plays with color and sepia tones and offers distinctive moments for Douglass and Lincoln throughout the show. Toni-Leslie James's costume design is lovely and evocative of the time.

This show about these two historical powerhouses has plenty of its own powerhouses at the helm. Joe DiPietro wrote the book, Daniel J. Watts and Joe DiPietro wrote the lyrics, Crystal Monee Hall composed the music, Michael Thurber orchestrated, and Christopher Ashely directed. DiPietro and Watts used correspondence, speeches, and other media from the Civil War era to tell this story and give an idea of how people of the era felt about these events.

The choreography by Jon Rua and Daniel J. Watts is energetic and creative. It transitions from the lines and shapes of military regiments to tap dance, R&B, and African-inspired movement, which is powerful in the storytelling. The tap dancing is exceptionally integrated in a creative and commanding way.

The music by Crystal Monee Hall is spirited, with anthems, ballads, and calls to action.  Lyrics by DiPietro and Watts are equally impactful and, in many cases, use the actual words of Lincoln and Douglass.  Music direction by Victoria Theodore and Wilkie Ferguson, as music supervisor, lead the talented orchestra located off-stage.

Some standout numbers include Douglass’ “Here I Am,” “In Each Letter,” where Mary helps soldiers write letters home, the second act opener ‘Pounding On The Rock,” “The Meetin,g” where Lincoln and Douglass finally meet in person and find themselves pleasantly surprised by the other, and the rousing “A Radical Shoults ‘Now!’” 

While entertaining and powerful, this musical would benefit from some editing and more streamlining.  The first act is very exposition-heavy and feels much slower than the action-packed second act when Lincoln and Douglass finally meet. It would also help to lean more fully into it as a rock opera and remove most spoken scenes, which felt like they slowed down the narrative instead of helping. Lincoln’s love of Shakespeare is comedically and dramatically highlighted, but it does not need to be hammered home quite as much as it is - audiences will still understand.

“3 Summers of Lincoln” arrives at a tumultuous time in American history and reminds audiences that every action taken and sacrifice made can make the world a better place. Still, sometimes it takes longer than you wish.

How To Get Tickets

“3 Summers of Lincoln” plays at the La Jolla Playhouse through April 6th. For ticket and showtime information, please go to www.lajollaplayhouse.org

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