BANJOS & BUGLES – New York’s Civil War in Song, Scene & Spectacle
An original DocuDraMusical created by David Secter © 2009
Banjos & Bugles is a musical about the years leading to and through the American Civil War, as it may have been performed by a progressive nineteenth century acting troupe, all of whom had first-hand experience of the crisis. This was an era when our music and theater were enjoying a golden age of originality and creativity. The show is hosted by Gwen Garter, a Broadway diva raised in Georgia, who began her theater career in 1855 and claims to have known all the players, movers and shakers of the times (think Mae West gone South). New York, the primary setting of Act One, had developed into one of the world’s most important economic, social and cultural centers. We address such topics as the rapid changes of urban life, immigration, poverty, politics, crime, corruption, race, alcoholism, women’s rights and other issues that are as relevant today as they were then. Gradually, the crisis of slavery becomes the dominant subject, and Act One ends with Lincoln’s election.
Act Two focuses on the war years, on the battlefields and home front, in the seats of power, prisons, parlors and taverns, with diverse perspectives. The NYC POV continues, featuring critical events like the Draft Riots of ‘63, which held the city under siege for a week, and Copperhead attempt to burn down the city in ‘64 on the very night the three Booth brothers were performing a one-time-only benefit performance of Julius Caesar. Aside from Gwen’s pertinent and often impertinent remarks, the material is drawn from period documents: letters, diaries, speeches, newspaper and magazine articles, posters, photographs et al. The show incorporates a range of vintage theatrical styles, such as melodrama, temperance play, and even a brief example of the entertainment phenomena of the period – the minstrel show. Personalities we meet include famous figures like P.T. Barnum, Walt Whitman, Sojourner Truth, prominent politicians, the boys in blue and gray, along with a wide array of infamous, anonymous and forgotten others. Local and topical references will be tailored to the particular location where the show is performed.
The romantic arc of the show develops as Gwen is often partnered with Patrick Flanagan, an Irish immigrant who becomes her leading man both on and offstage, and their relationship evolves via the various roles they play. Like many people at the time, Gwen’s loyalties are torn, with brothers and cousins fighting for the South against a fiancé, friends and family for the North, while Patrick came to our shores seeking a better life, only to be ensnared by the battle to determine the future of his adopted country.
All of the show’s characters, dialog, songs and other material are either original or in the public domain. The orchestra will perform onstage in costume, often leaving their bandstand to participate in marches, parades, cakewalks and other events. The music is arranged and orchestrated to convey to today’s ears the freshness the songs had when they were the popular hits of their day. The stagecraft evokes such period devices as gas lamp footlights, rolling dioramas, magic lantern projections etc. We will show how the most cataclysmic event in our history was depicted in the songs, plays, photographs and voices of its participants, employing twenty-first century technology to re-imagine a compelling nineteenth century theatrical experience for a contemporary audience.
