Empire, The Musical
Opening July 11 in its New York City premiere, Empire, The Musical sets out to strike high emotions in audiences’ hearts. With book, music and lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull and directed by Tony award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), the musical relates a little-known historic story. This original tale, told from the perspective of an unlikely heroine searching for her identity, spans three generations. Currently at New World Stages in a 12-week limited engagement, Empire runs two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.
Spanning the Roaring ’20s, the Great Depression, and through to the Bicentennial year of 1976, the story shows how dreamers and visionaries make an impact on their world. We learn about their determination and courage, and how these diverse individuals, and many immigrants, united to complete an impossible project. We see how construction workers, industrialists, architects, and a feisty project manager erected the Empire State Building under budget, with days to spare. But key among them, leading with bravery and heroism, the Indigenous Mohawk ironworkers, known as skywalkers, left an indelible mark. One cannot imagine the project succeeding as it did without their invaluable contribution.
Moving Fluidly Between Present and Past
In the “Prologue” the company sings of inspiration and freedom and being on high. An Indigenous Mohawk-Grandmother chants about releasing fear to receive peace. Meanwhile, fluidly moving into the “present” (1976), Sylvie Lee purges her Brooklyn attic going through old memorabilia. (Julia Louise Hosack covered for Jessica Ranville in the role at the performance I saw.)
Daughter Rayne (Kiana Kabeary) excitedly joins her mother sorting through items that relate to the past. These touchstone items initiate flashbacks, which bring an understanding of the family and Sylvie Lee’s recognition of her true identity. Importantly, though Sylvie Lee and Rayne clash about Rayne’s future, eventually we understand why. Because Sylvie Lee’s father, Rayne’s grandfather, died falling off a high beam on the Empire State Building, Sylvie Lee resents the past.
Purging the Past
Nevertheless, purging the memorabilia of that time only excites Rayne. It reminds her of the worth of her dreams. Despite her mother’s wishes, she wants to be an ironworker, like her grandfather. Naturally, Sylvie Lee’s upset at Rayne’s ironworker avocation angers Rayne. But for Sylvie Lee, it makes no sense for Rayne to throw away her college education to join the ironworker’s union.
Underlying her annoyance at the money wasted, something else bothers Sylvie Lee, something she discovers as the musical unfolds. Shifting to the past, Sylvie Lee evokes the spirit of her energetic, vibrant aunt, Frances Belle “Wally” Wolodsky. Confiding in Wally (a fine Kaitlyn Davidson), Sylvie Lee complains about Rayne’s love of the construction trades. When Wally jokes about it the story of the past begins. And Wally announces the scene shift. “October 1929, Waldorf Astoria, Demolition Party.”
As a banner unfurls, we see the party celebrating the “takin’ down of the Grand Ol’ Dame” to “makin’ the way for the Al Smith Building.” Seamlessly, in another part of the attic, the scene shifts to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 1929. With a minimalist set that faintly suggests a few props of the grand ballroom, the company dances and sings. The jazzy number “Everybody Up/Heydey” comes across as a flapper-style Charleston. Then, after the dancing and partying, thunderous glass breaks symbolically. The Wall Street crash ushers in the Great Depression.
Manifesting the Indigenous Conception of Fluid Time and Space
Though we don’t realize it yet, the Mohawk-Grandmother (April Ortiz) encourages Sylvie Lee’s understanding of the past. Because she and Sylvie Lee never got along, she wishes Sylvie Lee to reconcile the family in the present (1976). The way to this reconciliation is through the memorabilia. Also, forgiveness occurs through an evocation of spirits from the past. To comfort Sylvie Lee, the spirits reimagine the events surrounding the erection of the Empire State Building, which has vital import for Sylvie Lee to understand.
Because the book’s time and space fluidity can be confusing, stronger clarification should be made in the first part of the musical. For this purpose Sherman and Hull should highlight the Indigenous concept of time and space. Perhaps this could happen not only through the “Prologue” when Mohawk-Grandmother chants, but with an early conversation between Sylvie Lee and Mohawk-Grandmother. Until we understand that Sylvie Lee’s story runs parallel to her understanding of the story of the Empire State Building, complexity gets in the way. Simplification should be made.
The Importance of the Mohawk Skywalkers
Additionally, the importance of the Mohawk skywalkers should be reinforced. The men, including Sylvie Lee’s father, Pakulski (Devin Cortez), looked to them for courage and leadership. Thus, when Sylvie Lee’s mother (Mohawk-Grandmother) reveals that she too walked the high beams disguised as the man Rudy Shaw, the impact is intense. When Sylvie Lee’s mother discovers she’s pregnant with Sylvie Lee, we appreciate her choice to keep the memorabilia as important to family legacy. Also, strengthening the Indigenous people’s perspective would enhance Sherman and Hull’s rationale for the book’s fluid time-and-space approach with its flashbacks and flashforwards.
To elucidate, after Pakulski’s death, Uncle Jesse (Danny Iktomi Bevins) and Mohawk-Grandmother, sing “A Change of Worlds.” The lyrics resonate with the fluidity of time and space. “A change of worlds there is no death; we live this life, we live the next.” The song reinforces the seamlessness of space and time, a theme throughout the musical from Indigenous culture. And together Jesse and Mohawk-Grandmother sing, “And we soar, seeking strength and peace, how we soar, when our fears release.” Through this song and others the spiritual component of the Mohawk skywalkers, who release their fears on the high beams, manifests. Such concepts need an earlier initiation.
With Her Mother’s Revelation Comes New Meaning
Thus, with Sylvie Lee’s understanding about the past, the erection of the Empire State Building has new meaning. Born on the date of its completion, Sylvie Lee appreciates the symbolism. Thankfully the message affirms life, not death. Her father and mother worked together on the high beams, and after all, skywalking unified their love. This is reinforced in the song “Nothing Comes for Free.” Kabeary as Pakulsi’s wife and Cortez as Pakulsi sing it beautifully.
As Sylvie gradually learns her story, the fascinating tale of how the Empire State Building was built over the course of a year concurrently unfolds. We appreciate how with all the trials and obstacles the miraculous came to fruition. Interestingly, the bulk of the action occurs as we watch Wally “just do her job,” keeping all the balls in the air (“Wally Works/Never Say Never”). We meet the effervescent bulldozer of a political reformer turned empire builder, Al Smith (the energetic Paul Salvatoriello). Also, we meet the players who work with him, John J. Raskob (Howard Kaye), and architect Charles Kinney (Albert Guerzon). In “Moxie,” Salvatoriello, Kaye, and Guerzon wire up the musical and keep the vitality flowing. Subsequently, when Smith faces dire consequences after the Pakulsi’s death, we hear a reprise of “Al’s Moxie.” Salvatoriello sings the song with gusto and hope.
And this comes none too soon because society powerhouse, Mrs. Janet Arthur (Alexandra Frohlinger), attempts once more to close down the project (“Protect What’s Mine”). Considering that the papers intend to print that an ironworker took his own life for the insurance money, she may succeed. However, Smith has Wally save the day by finding out the truth from the ironworkers. When Wally explains the event, Sylvie Lee learns more information about her father she never knew before.
Production Numbers Keep Us Interested
Throughout, many of the numbers keep our interest in the project moving along. Not only do we discover historical facts about budget, timing, and materials, we appreciate the ironworkers. They brave danger daily and rely on the Indigenous skywalkers, sterling examples of physical and emotional strength, athleticism and balance. As a tribute to these men who risked their lives, the ironworkers’ numbers, which also involve choreography, stand up well. Particularly excellent are “Precision and Rhythm,” “Don’t Look Down When You’re Going Up,” and “We’ll Work.” In these, form meets function and the movement and choreography by Lorna Ventura “soars.”
Though some of the characters ring true (Mohawk skywalkers, Al Smith, John J. Raskob), others do not. Wally is an essential, timely character in a musical like this. However, at the time, the concept of a female in the construction trades with the power Wally has boggles the imagination. Indigenous people accepted women as co-equals in power more than colonial-leftover, cultural patriarchies did. However, Kaitlyn Davidson dives into the role and makes it her own.
The Empire State Building, a Fascinating Character
More importantly, the ESB becomes it own character as an integral part of Sylvie Lee’s story. The optimism and determination to overcome suffering with patience and hope resonates as a theme. Finally, the musical is a testament to those who got the job done, an inspiration for us today.
First presented at Hudson Backstage in Los Angeles, Empire, The Musical went to La Mirada Theatre in 2016. Currently, Walt Spangler’s set from which the events spring (the attic of the house) has scaffolding on either side. The versatile set is effective for various settings in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The costume design (Tina McCartney), lighting design (Jamie Roderick), sound design (Shannon Slaton), and hair and make-up design (Ian Joseph) adequately evoke the period and create the effects. Music supervision and orchestrations by Lena Gabrielle transform the book magically.
Empire, The Musical is at New World Stages, 50th Street between 8th and 9th, until September 22.
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