Telling a crucial slice of American history via the very clever construct of Lincoln’s last three summers, provides a more nuanced perspective of the Civil War than many of us were taught back in the day. Uniquely, the story is presented solely from the Union side. The results are magnificent.
Lincoln faces a political reality that in order to form a more perfect Union he risks not being able to abolish slavery, as perhaps not all those in uniform fighting for the North support abolition. His cabinet reinforces that proposition, while Frederick Douglass from far outside the White House urges a more definitive strategy to eradicate slavery.
Comparisons to Hamilton are inevitable; both productions do an excellent job via the improbable use of a musical to retell a compelling era of our nation’s history. Whereas Hamilton was more ambitious in its musical genres, 3 Summers of Lincoln generally relies on more mainstream musical genres for most of its numbers.
A particularly excellent scene is when Lincoln tries to convince Black religious leaders about setting up a colony for their people in Central America. “That’s What He Said” is set against a gospel motif, and it works well.
Quentin Earl Darrington with cast members in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical 3 Summers of Lincoln; photo by Rich Soublet II.
The scenic design is especially effective, as the stage consistently reinforces the power of words, both oratory and written. The backdrop for every scene includes representative movable type font, which was Douglass’ preferred means of communication with his North Star newspaper published in Rochester, New York. Superimposed projections of handwritten notes represent not only soldiers’ letters to home, but Lincoln’s journal entries. Most importantly, the stage set also includes a telegraph machine, the means by which Lincoln communicated with his commander on the battlefield General McClellan. The latter generally ignored Lincoln’s directives by claiming he would not take orders from a lawyer. Nonetheless, the relatively instant communication of the telegraph afforded Lincoln a distinct advantage the Confederacy lacked.
Ivan Hernandez as President Abraham Lincoln and Quentin Earl Darrington as Frederick Douglass are each commanding, even if they never confront each other directly in the first act. A critical role is Lincoln’s butler William Slade, who is played by John-Andrew Morrison and provides the means by which necessary exposition is delivered in a relatively unobtrusive way.
The brisk direction from Christopher Ashley keeps things moving in a rapid clip, somehow balancing a steady pace with political discourse that might otherwise bog down the proceedings. The book is by Joe DiPetro. The pair has collaborated on a half dozen productions, including Babbitt, Diana and Memphis. They are clearly in their prime here.
Quentin Earl Darrington as Frederick Douglass (left) and Ivan Hernandez as President Abraham Lincoln in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical 3 Summers of Lincoln; photo by Rich Soublet II.
This is definitely not the story of Lincoln as a white savior. The second act is more ambitious in its musical stylings, bring out more current beats. The opening number (“Pounding on the Rock”) is especially effective as it is the first of several times that we witness Douglass and Lincoln encountering each other face-to-face. The pace clearly quickens for Lincoln’s final two summers.
We all know the ending, but this sterling production provides a unique prism through which to better understand the crucial role of the nation’s most important friendship.
The production has been extended, ticket information here.
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