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Rooted in Ohio profiles interesting people who have grown up in or lived in Ohio and have gone to make a name for themselves around the country or the globe. If you know of someone worthy of being highlighted, then send an email to Life@coxinc.com and include “Rooted in Ohio idea” in the message subject line.
Shavey Brown, a 2003 Fairfield High School and 2007 Wright State University graduate, is currently appearing in the Los Angeles premiere of the tunefully glorious, thought-provoking 2011 Tony Award-nominated musical “The Scottsboro Boys,” the final collaboration of legendary songwriters John Kander and Fred Ebb (“Cabaret,” “Chicago”).
Incorporating the provocative framework of a minstrel show to bluntly examine a disheartening era in American entertainment, “Scottsboro Boys” is based on the true Southern story of nine young black men (ages 13 to 20) falsely accused and convicted of raping two white women in March 1931. Their disingenuous trial, held in Scottsboro, Ala., took the country by storm with ill-fated, devastating results for them and searing cries for justice and equality elsewhere that ultimately sparked the civil rights movement. Just two months ago, the Scottsboro Boys were finally, posthumously exonerated and pardoned by the state of Alabama.
“Everyone wants to be heard in some aspect and if we take the time to listen we can learn a lot,” said Brown, 28. “A lot of people leave this show open to a new outlook on life. It isn’t a show for first-time theatergoers, but it’s a show that incites conversation afterward. Everyone has a different reaction to it. People love it. People loathe it. Some feel terrified or unsure. It’s great that there is a show like this that inspires discussion and opinion, which is what I feel theater, the arts, has been lacking in recent years.”
Brown, whose duties as a swing performer includes understudying five roles such as comical leading player Mr. Tambo, is very familiar with the ensemble-driven “Scottsboro Boys” having been featured in last year’s West Coast premiere co-presented by San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre. He was thrilled to have been asked to take part in the L.A. mounting while on an international tour as Scar in “The Lion King” in Hong Kong. In addition to sharing the stage with Tony winner and TV veteran Hal Linden (“The Rothschilds,” “Barney Miller”) as the overseeing Interlocutor, he was eager to reunite with five-time Tony-winning director/choreographer Susan Stroman (“The Producers”).
“Susan’s direction and choreography marry each other beautifully,” he said. “Watching her teach us the routines, especially the tap dancing, was amazing. She’s so down-to-earth as well and it’s exciting to work for her. She helps you get on the train but also allows you to ignite the train. And this cast is extraordinary. It’s like a workshop every day, learning from everyone around me whether they’re 13 years old or 80 years old.”
Among Brown’s memorable roles at WSU were Coalhouse Walker Jr. in “Ragtime,” Wining Boy in “The Piano Lesson” and Mr. Peachum in “The Threepenny Opera.” His regional credits include “Smokey Joe’s Café,” “The Producers,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and the Human Race Theatre Company’s production of “Big River.” As his career progresses, he is motivated by the value of self-confidence and truly savoring every role.
“At Wright State I learned to be my true, complete self as an artist,” he said. “It took time to learn that, but it has really stuck with me every day and everywhere I go. And it’s always about the work. It’s not about who likes you or doesn’t like you. It’s about doing good work.”
“Scottsboro Boys” had a polarizing yet impactful run on Broadway in the fall of 2010, closing after 49 regular performances and 29 previews. Even so, the captivating, exhilarating and inventive show, which rightfully and impressively received 12 Tony nominations, continues to generate interest. In fact, luminous soprano and five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald borrowed the musical’s exceptionally poignant ballad “Go Back Home” for her recently released CD of the same name. Also, Stroman is preparing to launch the show at London’s Young Vic for an October opening. Future productions in regional theaters across the country are entirely possible.
Brown says the L.A. production, which stars Tony nominee Joshua Henry as Haywood Patterson and has been seen by such artists as Paula Abdul, Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, has allowed him to embrace the past and present with immense gratitude.
“This show has a majority black cast and showcases black men in a way that hasn’t been shown,” he said. “We’re singing, dancing and acting. We’re doing it all. Sometimes black men in the theater are portrayed in certain aspects so it’s nice to be seen in a different light. This show has changed my life and has made me very proud as a black man. It’s rewarding to do a show of this caliber, particularly the final minutes that pay homage to people who came before me who had to go on stage and do certain things they didn’t want to do, things we don’t have to do anymore. We’re telling a tragic story that needs to be told.”
“The Scottsboro Boys” continues through June 30 at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
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