A show with Broadway promise about tap dance's origins will come to Indianapolis

Indianapolis' historic Black theater is about to showcase a story inspired by the origins of American tap dance that's set in a Black-owned dance hall in 1863.

The musical has enough talent behind it to potentially make it to Broadway, and thanks to the Central Indiana nonprofit Discovering Broadway, Hoosier audiences will receive an early look. In October, the "Five Points" creative team spent quiet time in Carmel reworking their project.

And on Feb. 10, the Madam Walker Legacy Center will host a concert of about 12 songs from the musical interspersed with commentary. The name invokes the 19th-century neighborhood once considered to be a slum, a cauldron of working-class people that included Irish immigrants and Black families. The story centers on John Diamond, who is Irish, and Willie Lane, who is Black — two talented rival dancers during the Civil War era. What they create is a uniquely American art form.

"Their feet seem to be the path (to the American dream). But on that path, there are other obstacles that stand in their way. It's a story about family sacrifice, fathers and sons," lyricist and composer Douglas Lyons told IndyStar. "It's about overcoming your own fears, trusting your impulses and redefining what community could be for you."

"Five Points" is in development with Paper Mill Playhouse, a New Jersey theater that's known for producing shows, including "Newsies," that have gone on to the Great White Way.

Joining the creative trio of writer Harrison David Rivers, composer Ethan D. Pakchar and Lyons on the Madam Walker stage will be a star-heavy cast: The Tony Award-winning Jessie Mueller of "Waitress," Aisha Jackson of "Frozen" and Michael Wordly of "Miss Saigon" are among Broadway names. Indianapolis performers include "Voice" winner Josh Kaufman, the "Hamilton" tour's Morgan Anita Wood and former "Voice" contestant David Owens.

How 'Five Points' intersects with Indianapolis

Indiana became a key player for "Five Points" in October, when Lyons, Rivers and Pakchar traveled to the Hotel Carmichael. For about a week, they had what Lyons called "uninterrupted bliss" to work in a suite — a rare in-person chance for three people whose busy careers in performance, writing and composition pull them in multiple directions.

The musical's Carmel retreat came about eight years into its development. Pakchar, a guitarist who's played on Broadway, and Lyons, who has seen success with his Broadway writing debut "Chicken & Biscuits," began work on it in about 2013. Rivers, whose writing credits include Peacock and HBO shows, joined the team in 2014. Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis presented the two-act "Five Points" world premiere in 2018.

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For stage works to live their best and longest life, however, they require plenty of reworking and fine-tuning.

Enter Discovering Broadway, the nonprofit that has been connecting the high-profile creative teams of potential Broadway shows with quiet spaces in the Indianapolis area to workshop their projects and present them to Indiana audiences. Kirk, who grew up in Carmel, knew Lyons and offered "Five Points" the opportunity as its fifth musical writers retreat. "The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical" played Chicago this past summer, but so far the musicals have not arrived on New York's Broadway stages.

The story of the musical

The "Five Points" plot brings together different communities' customs and traditions, creating the kind of cultural tension that helped produce American tap. The musical draws on the stories of Lane and Diamond — real-life dancers who competed against one another in the 1840s. The project moves Diamond and Lane's timeline up to make the Civil War a backdrop to add tension to the storyline, Lyons said.

Diamond, who was the reigning white Irish minstrel dancer, had toured with showman P.T. Barnum and his skills earned him the nickname "King of Diamonds." Diamond challenged other top dancers in competitions, including Lane, who beat him.

Lane was believed to be a free Black man, according to the Library of Congress. He performed in dance houses in lower Manhattan and Five Points and later toured with white minstrel players. One setting for the musical is Almack's Dance Hall, where dancers mixed Irish and Black dance traditions to create a new style.

Some of the songs on the program for the Madam Walker concert are new and have never been heard before, Lyons said. Other changes after the Carmel retreat include strengthening the male leads and amplifying female characters, including Diamond's mother-in-law and Lane's sister. The songs fuse blues, gospel, soul and pop rock, Lyons said.The musical's themes persuaded Wood, currently playing Eliza Schuyler Hamilton in the "And Peggy" tour, to want to participate during the development stage.

"I tend to follow projects — clearly, being in "Hamilton" right now — that follow a lot of themes of racial inclusivity and lack thereof as well as history in our country, and ('Five Points') aligned with both of those themes," said Wood, who will sing the role of Pauline, a member of the Black community.

"I've always taken an interest in stories that triumph over oppression or at least provide an audience with hope but also realistic levels of hope."

What will be on stage

Kaufman, who lives in Carmel, will bring his expertise as a singer in multiple genres. In late 2014 and early 2015, he took a turn in Broadway's "Pippin."

In "Five Points," Kaufman will perform as P.T. Barnum, who's looking to capitalize on dance talent.

"It's pretty clear that the tumultuous times and cultures kind of clashing and hopefully being able to come together is very applicable to today," Kaufman said.

Growing up, Wood performed at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, Civic Theatre and Footlite Musicals, among others. She said she's worked on just a few projects while they are in development and calls them a gift.

"This is kind of the actor's dream, in my opinion, is being able to just bring your whole authentic self to essentially a brand new role," Wood said. "For the most part, of course, with the knowledge and opinions of the writers involved, it's open to your interpretation. And you get to just bring your humanity to it."

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If you go

What: "Five Points," starring Jessie Mueller, T. Oliver Reid, Aisha Jackson, Michael Wordly, Jeff Kready, Josh Kaufman, Morgan Wood, David Owens, Scott Van Wye and Jackson Mullen. The creative team and Ayodele Casel, co-choreographer who's known for her work on the Broadway revival of "Funny Girl," will be there as well.

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10

Where: Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave.

Tickets: $39.99-$89.99. VIP $169.99. discoveringbroadway.org

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Broadway stars to bring show about tap dance origins to Indianapolis