New Musical Sheds Light On Industrialist
Moses Cone
Kim Cozort and Jim Ballard
star as Bertha and Moses Cone in the world premiere
of the Blowing Rock Stage Company musical Moses
Cone: The Denim King, on stage now until June
16.
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By Jeff Eason
If you visit the High Country on a regular basis, you’ve
probably been to the Moses Cone Manor in Blowing Rock, just
off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Everyone knows about the mansion
but very few people know about the man who built it.
This week the Blowing Rock Stage Company presents the world
premiere of the musical story of that man. Moses Cone: The
Denim King is a two-act drama/musical that takes the audience
through the lives of a family that transformed the textile
industry in the Carolinas and helped move our state into
the 20th century.
Moses Cone: The Denim King runs from now until June 16th
at the Mariam and Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center in
Blowing Rock. Tickets are on sale now.
The new musical was written by playwright Janet Barton Speer,
chair of the division of Performing Arts at Lees-McRae College
in nearby Banner Elk, with music by composer John Thomas
Oakes.
Kenneth Kay, artistic director of the Blowing Rock Stage
Company, is directing the new musical.
“We are deeply honored that the BRSC has been given
the privilege of producing the world premiere of Moses Cone,
which has been in development for several years,” said
Kay. “In fact, the musical will feature a cast of nearly
thirty actors and musicians and utilize the collective talents
of artists, designers, and technicians from every major
performing arts group in Watauga County.”
The play begins in the late 1800s as Moses and his brother
Caesar Cone leave their home in Baltimore for the untapped
industrial and agricultural region of western North Carolina.
The brothers decide to leave the family produce business
and stake their fortunes on the popularity of the new cotton
fabric known as denim.
“Moses Cone was a remarkable man, and the story of
his life, family and work has all the ingredients that make
for a wonderful night in the theater,” said Kay. “This
show is the living history of Blowing Rock and Watauga County,
and we invite the entire community to come celebrate their
history with us.”
Moses Cone: The Denim King stars Jim Ballard as Moses Cone,
Mason Davis as Caesar Cone, Kim Cozort as Bertha Cone, Jime
Taylor as Herman Cone, Stacy Schwartz as Claribel Cone and
Patricia Walker as Etta Cone.
The ensemble cast includes Shayna Albertson, Noah Dalton,
Joe Falocco, Burlene Frankliln, Paul Haas, Michael Hannah,
Millicent Hunnicutt, Mary Beth Hoot, Laura McKinney, Melanie
A. Miller, Corey Monk, Lilly Nelson, Owen Nichols, Ed Pilkington,
Katelyn Rondinaro, Brian Seagroves, Lyle Sterne, Mark Suggs,
Melvin Tunstall, John Phillip Warrick and Alyssa Wooden.
“One of my landladies, Ruby Walters, ran the Moses
Cone Estate for about five or six years, so I knew a little
bit about the family,” said actress Kim Cozort. “I’m
so pleased that the show is infused with a lot of humor
and heart. The first act is lighter and the second act,
where we get to the end of Moses’ life, is darker.”
Cozort added that some of her preconceived notions of women’s
roles a century ago were shattered by her research of Bertha
Cone.
“We tend to think of women of that era as submissive,”
said Cozort. “But the Cone women were all strong-willed
and fiercely independent. They maintained the estate for
many decades after Moses died.”
Both Cozort and actor Joe Falocco, who plays several roles
including Rabbi Gottmacher, compared the music of Moses
Cone to that of several Sondheim musicals.
“It’s very contemporary, very Sondheim-esque,
like his musical Sunday in the Park with George,” said
Cozort. “The music is interwoven with the dialogue.
It reflects the emotions of the people on stage and is very
spontaneous.
“It’s been exciting because this is a world premiere
musical. You can’t just pick up the Broadway cast recording
and learn the songs that way.”
Tickets & Times
Times for Moses Cone: The Denim King are May 31 at 2 p.m.
& 8pm, June 1 at 8 p.m., June 2 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.,
June 3 at 2 p.m., June 6 at 8 p.m., June 7 at 2 p.m. &
8 p.m., June 8 at 8 p.m., June 9 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.,
June 10 at 2 p.m., June 13 at 8 p.m., June 14 at 2 p.m.
& 8 p.m., June 15 at 8 p.m., June 16 at 2 p.m. &
8 p.m.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $14 for students, and are available
now by calling the Box Office at 828-295-9627. You may pay
by credit card or by cash (in person). Tickets can also
be purchased online at www.hayescenter.org
by credit card. Special group rates are also available.
Season and Flex Passes can be purchased and used throughout
the entire ’07 season.
For more information, call (828) 295-9627. |
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