Racial prejudice. Protest music. Social Inequality. Those relevant themes could make for a very interesting night at the theater. In fact, it's already been happening for 90 years. They are some of the subjects of the 1927 musical, Show Boat.
"To use the 'N' word? To open a musical in 1927? My god," said Arthur Woodley, who plays Joe, one of the leads in Portland Opera's production of the show. "It must have been shocking, because now you are seeing the intimate life of black people on stage, something that never had happened before."
The story is about several families living and performing on the Cotton Blossom riverboat traveling the Mississippi. It takes place from 1887 to 1927 and is considered the first 'real' American musical.
Woodley's character is one-half of the show's central black couple. He said when the show debuted it was also the first time most Americans were exposed to black and white characters working alongside each other. Woodley sings the musical's most enduring piece, 'Ol Man River.'
"We talk about sweating and straining. I don't want to displease the white man boss. It's in a sense, almost like a protest," he said. "It's about the nobility of this man, the nobility of this river, the history of our people, to me, the history of our people and how we keep on going."
To hear a portion of Woodley's take on the classic song and to hear how the performer who plays his wife reacts to being called the "N" word in the show, click on the video above.
Show Boat runs from May 1-9 at Keller Auditorium. Tickets range from $25-$130 and can be purchased at Portlandopera.org.
