- Tickets for the 6 p.m. show Feb. 23 at Montgomery Performing Arts Centre range from $5 to $20, and are available online at mpac.org.
It was a mere 59 years ago that thousands stood up to oppression and marched from Selma for the right to vote in Alabama. Just getting started was a testament to their courage, a test of their endurance, a claim to their racial identity and a risk to their lives.
At 6 p.m. on Feb. 23 in Montgomery − the city that was the endpoint of their 54-mile trek in 1965 − their stories are the subject of a musical at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.
“People ask a lot, how do you tell this story through the lens of musical theater, entertainment and all of that?” said J.P. Haynes, writer and director for “Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories.” Along with the dialogue, Haynes wrote most of the song lyrics — with some help from lead cast member Melissa A. Davidson, who plays Connie.
“Lewis Webb, a professor at Trenholm State, helped with the musical arrangement of some of the pieces,” Haynes said.