History in music

This ever-evolving show—an annual effort by Images Theater Company—attempts nothing less than a panoramic view of African-American history, in just two hours.

Under writer/director Lisa Lacy and musical director Charles Cooper, the show first took shape back in 2004. Some early elements still carry over, including Bill Miller’s performance of “I’m A Man.” Originally, Miller sang it as a janitor, broom in hand. The broom is now gone, but Miller (who radiates personal presence) still sings with dignity and righteous anger at injustice.

A newer element is Elaine Douglas in a gutsy, moving scene as The Bones Keeper, who endeavors to remember the countless unnamed individuals brought to America in chains, many of whom perished at sea onboard slave ships, their bones littering the ocean floor.

We also glimpse cruel plantation life; segregated seating on a train; a grisly hanging tree; the fury of Emmett Till’s mother (mourning her murdered 14-year-old son, who allegedly flirted with a white woman); and the assassination of civil-rights organizer Medgar Evers.

There are upbeat moments, too—a nightclub scene recalls entertainers Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Waller and Billie Holiday; a 1960s scene recalls Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and Black Panther Huey Newton. And, of course, there’s the election of the first African-American president, plus a soulful, rousing finale with 12 actors and a lively four-piece band.

This continues to be an emotionally-uplifting show. It has also become a valuable community institution. Charles Cooper’s music impresses year after year, and there are many figures from history yet-to-be-included (including pioneering singers like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marian Anderson). I look forward to Legacy each February; hopefully, this local evergreen will be with us for years to come.