At the Lied Center of Kansas, we believe the arts are essential to the human experience. To provide engaging performing arts experiences to people of all ages, and to support artists who bring such enlightenment to the world—these goals are at the core of our mission. The Lied Center is proud to commission an exciting new theatre work, for young audiences and adults alike, with an important story to tell. We hope you will join our cause in bringing it to life for the world premiere at your Lied Center of Kansas in fall 2022.
NORTH, a new musical by vocalist, writer and arts educator Ashli St. Armant, follows the journey of a precocious teenage boy named Lawrence and his young mother, Minnie, as they escape the Deep South and travel North through the Underground Railroad to seek freedom. NORTH is based on actual accounts of slave escapes through the Underground Railroad network and includes true connections with our history-rich, abolitionist hometown, Lawrence, Kansas.
While acknowledging the realities of slavery, the book and original jazz compositions by St. Armant bring out the full experience of freedom-seekers: optimism, bravery, playfulness, wonder, suspense and mystery. The workshop performance featured an all-star cast of professional performers from Hollywood and Broadway singing the original music of NORTH—Isaiah Johnson (Broadway: The Color Purple, Hamilton), Tracie Thoms (Film: Rent, The Devil Wears Prada), Carrie Compere (Broadway: The Color Purple), and Aaron Williams (Aaron Grooves, Collision of Rhythm).
Please consider a donation to support this inspirational work, amplifying marginalized voices and elevating a story of relationships, grit, betrayal, ingenuity, joy and, above all, humanity. Your gift will also count towards your Friends of the Lied donor level for special membership benefits at the Lied Center.
View the video to experience highlights of the music and donate now to support NORTH.
