North: The Musical to premiere next month at Chandler Center for the Arts

Chandler Center for the Arts brings the premiere of NORTH, a vibrant new musical theater production conceived and created by writer and composer Ashli St. Armant, in November 2022.

Set to a powerful score filled with jazz and historically Black music genres rooted in New Orleans, NORTH tells the story of Lawrence and his mother, Minnie, as they escape the Deep South and travel North through the Underground Railroad, to seek freedom.

Set in the 1850s, NORTH is based on actual accounts of slave escapes through the Underground Railroad network, as well as Ms. St. Armant’s personal family history of overcoming slavery in Louisiana. In this beautifully crafted musical, NORTH brings forth the full experience of freedom-seekers: optimism, bravery, playfulness, wonder, suspense, and mystery. To complement the story, the musical genres in NORTH are equal parts jazz, musical theatre, and St. Armant’s own signature style.

Jazz vocalist, composer, musician and musical theater playwright, Ashli St. Armant is known for her award-winning work in education and entertainment including her band, Jazzy Ash and Leaping Lizards, and her Audible mystery series, Viva Durant, which includes the New York Times bestselling story, Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons. NORTH is Ms. St. Armant’s debut theatrical production.

NORTH THE MUSICAL has been co-commissioned by four performing arts centers from across the U.S.: the Lied Center of Lawrence, Kansas; Chandler Center for the Arts in Chandler Arizona; the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, California; and Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

Chandler performances of NORTH THE MUSICAL are November 4 at 7:00 pm and November 5 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave.

Tickets are on sale at chandlercenter.org or by calling 480-782-2680. Tickets are $42 & $32 with $15 tickets for youth. The musical is intended for intergenerational audiences (ages 10 and up).