Amazing Grace is a new original musical based on the awe-inspiring true story behind the world's most beloved song. A captivating tale of romance, rebellion and redemption, this radiant production follows one man whose incredible journey ignited a historic wave of change.
John Newton (Tony Award nominee Josh Young), a willful and musically talented young Englishman, faces a future as uncertain as the turning tide. Coming of age as Britain sits atop an international empire of slavery, he finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his father-a slave trader-or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart (Erin Mackey). Accompanied by his slave, Thomas (Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper), John embarks on a perilous voyage on the high seas. When that journey finds John in his darkest hour, a transformative moment of self-reckoning inspires a blazing anthem of hope that will finally guide him home.
New musicals that open in the summer tend to be ill-fated, and 'Amazing Grace,' which purports to tell the 'awe-inspiring true story' (so says the news release, anyway) of John Newton (Josh Young), the British slave trader turned abolitionist who wrote the words to the 1779 hymn, is unlikely to break that rule...On the credit side, the cast is superb-especially Chuck Cooper as Newton's twice-enslaved manservant-and Gabriel Barre's sumptuous staging not infrequently creates the illusion that there's more to 'Amazing Grace' than meets the ear...Whatever its weaknesses, this is one of the best-looking musicals to reach New York in recent seasons.
Amazing Grace earns a place right alongside the Aimee Semple McPherson musical, Scandalous, and the Shroud of Turin musical, Into the Light; not because of the faith-based subject matter, but due to the overall effect. There is nothing wrong with bringing to Broadway a new musical written by a newcomer; both The Music Man and 1776 came from first-timers, although both were professional musicians with pop song hits to their credit (and both had composed incidental music for Broadway plays). In this case, the program bio of Christopher Smith--'the concept creator, composer, lyricist and co-author of the book'--proudly states that this is his 'first work of professional writing.' While there is indeed a lightning strike on the stage of Nederlander, it comes courtesy of the electrician.
2014 | Chicago |
World Premiere Production Chicago |
2015 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
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