New musical highlights Frederick Douglass but falls short
‘American Prophet’Through Aug. 28Arena Stage1101 Sixth St., S.W.$66 – $115Arenastage.org Frederick Douglass’s brilliance didn’t blossom in a walled garden.
Born into slavery around 1819, the renowned abolitionist worked the fields of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and docks of Baltimore before escaping to freedom in New York where he emerged as a famed orator, writer, and publisher.
Along his exceptional journey, Douglass was supported by family, and like-minded folks including prominent progressives of different temperaments whom he both learned from and heavily influenced.
In “American Prophet,” a biographical musical now premiering at Arena Stage, co-creators Marcus Hummon and Charles Randolph-Wright have intentionally relied heavily on Douglass’s written words with mixed results.
