A gorgeous selection of songs and an incredible concept for a brand new piece of musical theatre!
A new musical with music and lyrics by Testament and book by Zodwa Nyoni, Chisholm for President! tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968, and to run for nomination of President of the United States in 1972.
Born Shirley Anita St. Chisholm in 1924, to Bajan immigrants, Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She advocated on behalf of women and minorities, stood for Gay Rights and environmental protection, fought against Child poverty, and opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Chisholm served the United States House of Representatives for seven terms, from 1968-1983 (91st-97th Congresses) and passed away in 2005.
First developed by Leeds Studio, this production’s live band, including: saxophone, drums, percussion, violin, guitar, bass, and trumpet, create a beautiful atmosphere, filling the Purcell Room of the Southbank Centre with funk, soul, and jazz of the 1960s. Writer and composer Testament said:“Musically I wanted the sound and orchestration to be as authentic to the era as possible, like you are listening to a record live from 1968!”.
Madeline Appiah wows as Shirley Chisholm, with her beautiful voice, emotion, and fantastic characterisation bringing Chisholm’s passion, hope, frustration, and determination to the stage. The vocal ensemble create beautiful harmonies, with some heartfelt standout solos, and a particularly inspiring number with the motif ‘When They Go Low, We Go High’ by Rachel Modest. Justina Aina’s song portrays the trials of being a congressional aide and being far from home on a presidential campaign. It is moving and showcases impressive vocals, whilst Pauline Tomlin’s solo as Chisholm’s Grandmother shows brilliant emotion and allows the audience to further understand Chisholm’s childhood and who she was.
The triumvirate of Ryan Harston, Testament, and Solomon Gordon portray male Black Caucus members in congress with an exciting three part polyphonic number fantastically depicting the way Chisholm’s peers were largely unwilling to support a women as the Black Caucus presidential candidate, emphasising the intersectionality of Chisholm’s gender along with her race.
Milly Blue narrates the way in which predominantly white feminist activists such as Gloria Steinham and Betty Friedan’s support wavered between firmly backing Chisholm to later withdrawing as they didn’t feel she could win. The production highlights the barriers Chisholm faced from both white feminists and black male colleagues and beautifully portrays Chisholm’s unwillingness to diminish her identity to appease others; she was proud to be a Black Woman and refused to compromise her beliefs and what she stood for.
This production also highlights the different demographics Chisholm received support from throughout her campaign, with Kat Govedarica portraying the student and LGBTQ+ community, who in Chisholm found a candidate that they wanted to support.
This musical’s most empowering moment is when, as Shirley Chisholm realises she has not been successful in her bid to be a Presidential candidate, she questions what the point is? What did she achieve? The audience sees videos of young women in the present all declaring that they are running for President and demonstrates the inspiring legacy Chisholm left for those that came after her, for young black girls, for Hispanic, Native American, White, Mixed Race, Asian, Immigrant, and all women, to see that they could stand for President and make a difference. In a political establishment that didn’t, and often still doesn’t, want to hear the voices of women, particularly women of colour, Shirley Chisholm demonstrates that it is important those voices are heard.
Playwright Zodwa Nyoni said:
“Shirley Chisholm left a great legacy as a Black woman in life and politics. Against the odds and doubters, she remained true to herself and her ethics. Her message stands the test of time.”
Chisholm for President! was also performed in Leeds on Friday 12th April as part of its work in progress presentations. The team aim to secure support and collaborators to turn Shirley Chisholm’s story into a full-length musical, and with its gorgeous Soul and Funk score and inspiring story of hope and dedication it deserves an exciting future and to be seen by more audiences!