Young John Lewis Brims with Energy, Despite Rough Edges
Mosaic's lively staging brings John Lewis’ early activism to life with energy and soul, though its lyrics don’t always rise to the occasion.
What a courageous and purposeful life John Lewis led! And what an inspiring story his life makes in the new musical Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest, making its D.C. debut in a spirited production at Mosaic Theater.
Tracing the late congressman’s extraordinary journey from ordinary Black teen in the segregated South to influential firebrand of the Civil Rights Movement, the show — with book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Kokayi, and directed by Reginald L. Douglas — aims to inspire. The arc of Lewis’ life keenly illustrates the power of one person to galvanize many and make change, and that message resonates onstage from beginning to end.
A portrait of the activist as a young man, the show ends before Young John (Michael Bahsil-Cook) enters elected politics himself, but in the beginning, in 1955, what sparks the 15-year old’s revolutionary fire is the brutal killing of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old from Chicago who was kidnapped, beaten, and lynched in Mississippi.
In death, Till became a patron saint of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. In this show, baby-faced Emmett (Christian Emmanuel) takes the form of Young John’s conscience. It’s an effective narrative device that also seems to genuinely reflect the psyche of millions of Black Americans at the time deeply affected by Till’s murder, including Young John.
Emmanuel lends solid support in his portrayal of Emmett as bright, proud, and persistent in trying to point Young John towards justice. John asks himself, in song, “What Do I Do Now?” He responds to himself with “Gotta Do Something,” a potent rap manifesto, delivered with gusto by Bahsil-Cook, channeling the budding activist’s compassion and steely defiance.
Bahsil-Cook performs with the confidence of one who originated the role last year in the musical’s world-premiere at Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit, the company that commissioned Psalmayene to create the show. For that iteration, Psalmayene wrote the book and lyrics, while composer and musician Eugene H. Russell IV provided a musical score heavily influenced by ATL hip-hop.
For this production, for reasons undisclosed, Mosaic brought in Grammy-nominated, D.C.-based artist and composer Kokayi, whose new score offers an engaging mix of hip-hop, soul, gospel, and R&B. Bridging the sounds of ’50s-’60s protest marches with contemporary beats and rhymes — laid down righteously by a tight three-piece band, plus DJ Jabulani — Kokayi’s music moves the spirit.
Psalmayene’s lyrics move a lot less smoothly. Reportedly revised minimally since the musical’s premiere to correspond with the fresh score, the song and rap lyrics tend towards exceedingly simple rhymes in too predictable a meter. The style is accessible to all ages, and the songs get their points across, but, like the musical’s book, the language sounds didactic at times.
Young John, having sent a letter to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King (Solomon Parker) seeking advice after being denied admission to Troy University, goes to meet the man in Montgomery, and presumably, since he’s in the man’s office, knows where that office is. Yet, the Reverend Doctor explains, “that’s why I invited you here to my office in Montgomery.”
The talented cast does their best with some wooden dialogue, and stiff wigs, and do even better providing persuasive characterizations, like Emmanuel’s feisty Emmett Till, or Montel Butler’s energized Jim Lawson, the activist mentor who instructs Young John and his peers on the tactics of nonviolent direct action.
Jordan Essex finds an amusing but still passionate frequency for playing anti-capitalist Stokely Carmichael, who stands intellectually opposed to Young John’s methods, and engages him in a lively rap battle over reform versus revolution.
As Young John’s mother Willie Mae, among other characters, Latrice Pace (also reprising her role from the Atlanta production) adds heart to the Movement, and soul in her searing, gospel-tinged vocals throughout.
Everyone in the ensemble gets a standout moment to sing, but they really win as a team in the show’s entertaining group numbers, from funky, reggae-lite “Ish Up,” about changing up Young John’s speech for the March on Washington, to the drum-and-bass-inflected “We Marchin’ Y’all.”
Chronicling Young John’s march through history in an easily palatable, chronological fashion, the show drops us off with the twentysomething Lewis being prodded by one of his heroes, Bobby Kennedy (Harrison Smith), into considering running for office someday.
Young John strongly rejects the idea of getting into politics, leaving the knowing audience with the pleasant feeling that this kid’s got a big future ahead of him. There’s more work to do seeking civil rights, and more Good Trouble for him to make further down the line.
Young John Lewis (★★★☆☆) runs through May 3 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $62-$89, with discount options and rush tickets available for each performance. Call 202-399-7993, ext. 2 or visit mosaictheater.org.
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