MACON, Ga. — This weekend you can watch the history of Macon music unfold onstage during a new musical at the Capitol Theatre.
Macon Music Live: Origins is a combination of theatre performance, concert and musical all in one. Written by the co-founder of Rock Candy Tours and musician Jessica Walden, it takes audiences through a journey highlighting decades of Macon's music history.
Walden says the icons featured in the musical have one thing in common besides their timeless talent, unique appeal and impact on music.
"It's also a special shared location on their colorful roadmap to fame: Macon, Georgia, the place where their sound originated," she said.
During the show, you can see local actors portraying music legends like Little Richard, Otis Redding, James Brown and more.
The performers on stage are also some names you may have heard before such as Anthony Ennis, Charles Davis, Chomoya Faulk, Jim Montgomery, Roger “Christian” Walden, Saralyn Collins and Trajan Clayton.
Theatre legend Jim Crisp is directing, who was the first artistic director of Theatre Macon. Rock Candy Tours is producing the musical, and it's sponsored by Macon200 and Visit Macon.
Co-founder of Rock Candy Tours Jamie Weatherford says during the show people will be led by a narrator and musical performances through the many decades of Macon music history.
"It's really special to us that we can bring these characters to life. It's a way to celebrate our culture, both a shared culture for all races and genders and types. Macon is a very special city, and it's an honor for us that we can celebrate that with this musical," he said.
The show was originally written and performed in 2018 at the original site of Ann's Tic Toc Room.
Walden says by bringing the musical back, with many of the same actors, they can continue to remind people there is nowhere else in the world that has stories to tell like Macon.
"Rock Candy Tours has been in the business of sharing Macon's incredible music history through our stories since 2011. This musical is a natural progression and chance to share those same stories with a live band and actors portraying our legends," Walden said.
She says wrote the musical because one like it was overdue. She was inspired by “Swamp Gravy,” Georgia’s official folklife play, out of Colquitt County.
Walden also has her own ties to the city's music history through her father, Alan Walden and uncle Phil Walden.
They were both managers and business partners with Otis Redding. Her dad managed Lynyrd Skynyrd and her uncle managed the Allman Brothers Band which launched Capricorn Records.
Weatherford says music is Macon's biggest export.
"The history of Macon music cannot be contained in four walls, it's everywhere you look if you know what you're looking at. And if our walls could talk, they would sing," he said.
Walden says she's most proud to tell a story about the power of music bringing people together.
"More than anything, music is what bridged all divides. What these artists accomplished, despite a segregated South, shows the power of what can happen when we come together and share that song. Music in Macon was a disruptor in the best of ways. It broke barriers, cracked the castes and gathered audiences together," she said.
Performances of Macon Music Live: Origins begin on Thursday through Sunday.
Showtimes are:
- On Thursday, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show is at 7:30 p.m.
- On Friday, doors open at 7 p.m. and the show is at 8 p.m.
- On Saturday, for one show doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the show is at 2:30 p.m. For the second show, doors open at 7 p.m. and the show is at 8 p.m.
- On Sunday, doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the show is at 2:30 p.m.
After each show, there will be another performance from the Macon Music Revue. You can get tickets on the Capitol Theatre's website.