REVOLUTIONARY MUSICAL: The cast of “The Crossing,” billed as “A Revolutionary New Musical,” will offer previews at Hopewell Valley Stage on Saturday, June 20, at 3 and 8 p.m. (Photo courtesy of “The Crossing”).
By Wendy Greenberg
A new musical brings to life the unsung heroes of the Delaware River crossing that changed history in 1776. The Crossing, which seeks to become New Jersey’s official musical, is the result of six years of planning and research by two musical collaborators, and a chance meeting with two Princeton-area history buffs.
The result is the quintessential story of New Jersey’s involvement in the Revolutionary War, which was considerable. The show spotlights overlooked voices such as farmers, George Washington’s valet William “Billy” Lee, formerly enslaved soldier Jacob Francis, and Margaret Corbin, based on a real nurse who accompanied her husband into battle in upper Manhattan —individuals who are usually footnotes.
It celebrates, said composer John Allen Watts, “the grandeur of when people make the decision to do something extraordinary.”
The creative team behind The Crossing, which is previewing at Hopewell Valley Stage on Saturday, June 20, hopes to land with a full production at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton on December 26, the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Trenton.
The show also recognizes the inspiration arising from the writings of Thomas Paine. “Timing is everything,” said Princeton’s Roger S. Williams, a producer of The Crossing, about Paine’s influence. News that King George III of England declared the colonies in rebellion hit Philadelphia in 1775, and the rest of the colonies by late December. “By January 10, Common Sense was published, just at the right time. Paine was saying, you need to pick sides, and he gave reasons for choosing independence.”
The musical journey started some six years ago when the songwriter and classically trained instrumentalist Watts had completed New York University’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program. He is currently a musical director in New York City.
“When I got into musicals, I wanted to do something impactful,” he said. He considered writing about Benjamin Franklin. He visited sites in the Philadelphia area, including Washington Crossing, Pa., and met Williams, who gives tours from the historic site, and history author William “Larry” Kidder, who both suggested that instead of Franklin, Watts look into the crossing of the Delaware, and “Ten Crucial Days” of the war, that changed history.
“I started reading, and I was fascinated,” said Watts. “Their backs were against the wall,” he said of Washington’s troops, “and there were the highest stakes. I got chills. There were people who could have gone back home but they chose to follow Washington.”
Watts sought a collaborator to write book and lyrics, and he was introduced to writer Jason Huza, who coincidentally has on his wall a print of Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. They spoke for an hour and a half and Huza sent Watts 20 pages the next day.
“John and I have been talking for six years,” said Huza, a novelist and playwright. “It’s a passion project…. One of the first things we talked about was the painting. Who else was on the boat?”
Huza found the character of Francis particularly compelling. “He endured indentured servitude and then joined the Revolution, the Hunterdon County Militia.” Kidder and Williams found Francis’ headstone, and they learned Francis got his pension at the Hunterdon County courthouse, where the show will play in the fall.
Watts and Huza invited Williams and Kidder to a reading of The Crossing in New York City in 2019. “We had no idea what it would be like. We loved it. From the very beginning I was laughing and crying,” said Williams, who is the New Jersey state historian, and a founder of TenCrucialDays.org, which is raising funds to bring the show to its full production. “This production falls in line with the Ten Crucial Days organization. The world changed because of what happened here.”
Watts describes the musical as a “sweeping Americana score, orchestral, and timeless.”
“It’s a capture of a moment in time, but tied to today,” said Huza. “To put yourself in their shoes, to see ourselves celebrating something we did together.”
“We are living in an interesting time,” said Williams. “Now is a time for a reminder for why we are how did we get here. What moved me about this show is, who are these people? The musical is about the common man. Paine moved the population, spoke to the common man. Beyond the 250th celebration, this will live on. We always need a reminder of who we are.”
Those interested in supporting the effort to make The Crossing the official musical of New Jersey can sign an online petition at thecrossingmusical.com. Additionally, educators can license the musical package at thecrossingmusical.com/classroom.
The Hopewell Valley Stage 60-minute previews are Saturday, June 20, at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are at hvstage.org, and feature a post-show dialogue with creators and historians. The performances are sponsored by Crossroads of the American Revolution, the Hopewell Museum, Hopewell Valley Historical Society, Morven Museum & Garden, and the Princeton Battlefield Society.
Other previews are July 2, at 7 p.m., and July 3, at 3 p.m., at Passage Theatre in Trenton; August 29, at 2 p.m., at the William Trent house in Trenton; and September 25 and 26 at Hunterdon County Historic Courthouse, Flemington (times to be announced).