America is turning 243 on Thursday and Arts Express will celebrate 35 years of staging its signature Independence Day production, “Let Freedom Sing,” with a fresh theme: “Let Freedom Dream.”
“One thing that we, as humans, have in common is our hope for freedom. No matter how completely different our expressions of freedom may be, it is so human to long for that. In Tucson, we have such a beautiful microcosm of the melting pot that is our country, and we wanted to try to highlight that and to capture the dreams of freedom from our pilgrim fathers to our immigrants of today,” said artistic director Susan Stokes.
Stokes said she is excited to tailor the music and songs to the unique and diverse identity of Tucson through a 40-member Arts Express Choir and the 15-piece Let Freedom Sing Orchestra, along with special guests, such as Flamenco guitarist Ismael Barajas, acclaimed baritone Andrew Stuckey, the Manhattan Dolls and others.
Attendees can expect a range of patriotic favorites such as “God Bless America,” “The Gettysburg Address,” a gospel version of “My Country ’Tis of Thee” and the “Star Spangled Banner” performed by UA graduate Emily Garcia.
In “Let Freedom Sing” tradition, a salute to the Armed Forces will acknowledge the military members present, and America’s colors will be presented by the Davis-Monthan color guard in accompaniment with a lone bagpiper from the Tucson firefighters pipe and drum band. Other classics include “Lady On the Water,” written by Lee Hoiby and performed by Garcia; “Simple Gifts” performed by Stokes and music director Mark Gary; and “Dream the Impossible Dream” performed by Stuckey.
Stokes also looks forward to bringing additional elements of theater to the grand musical revue through a new venue this year: The Fox Theatre Tucson.
“This is our first time at the Fox and we wanted to take advantage of different types of visual work and make big use of the movie projectors,” said Stokes.
Those visuals will include portraits by photographer Steven Meckler designed to reflect the “many local faces that are part of our community and nation,” according to Stokes.
The portraits will serve as backdrops to the performers, as will film footage of significant historic eras and events. Additionally, a pre-show will include local photographs by Guy Atchley, a performance by master fiddler Dan Levenson, on-screen Tucson and U.S. trivia questions and live questions with prizes in a family gathering/party atmosphere. Stokes also hopes the two different show times will prove convenient to families with children.
“The Fox is such an iconic venue and we are looking forward to performing there. We hope the Tucson community will come and join us in trying to hold up a mirror to Tucson to reflect the great heritage of our country. Tucson has such a unique identity, but it keeps expanding to embrace everyone that comes and that represents the best of the United States,” said Stokes.
Summer stock “Tuck Everlasting”
The Fox will also serve as the venue for the Arts Express Summer Stock Production of “Tuck Everlasting,” which will be staged by young people in four performances on Friday, July 12, through Sunday, July 14.
The musical adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s bestselling book made its Broadway debut in 2016, where it was nominated for a Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and numerous other honors. The story is set in the 1890s and centers around 11-year-old Winnie Foster and the Tucks, a family that has found the secret to everlasting life. Winnie faces a choice between living out her natural life and joining the Tucks in immortality.
This quandary is put in the lap of child, who is faced with questions such as, “Do I want to be immortal? Is it a blessing or a curse? Do I keep their secret and how do I handle it?”
“It is an interesting collision of ideas and the musical presents a nonthreatening way of dealing with the premise that death is a natural part of life so it shouldn’t be feared,” said director Nancy Davis Booth.
Booth said the cast is stellar: Allison Jennings, 14, plays the role of Winnie, and is joined by five Monte Awards High School Musical Theatre nominees: Sara Maxwell, as Mae Tuck; Topher Esguerra as Jesse Tuck; Ben Muckenthaler as Miles Tuck; Indigo Runge, lead dancer; and Makena Klimpke, as the grandmother.
“These kids are over the top in terms of talent; they were recognized in the Monte Awards as some the top high school students in Southern Arizona,” said Karen Wiese, executive director and producer of Arts Express.
The ensemble is backed by a live orchestra, incredible costumes and a set with climbable trees and running water. The entire production is the culmination of the six-week summer camp offered to children ages 14 to 25 by the nonprofit Arts Express, which serves more than 20,000 people annually through a range of theatre shows, programming and audience experiences.
