More than a memory
Jazz/blues opera ‘Forgotten’ tells story of activist minister in song
By K. Michelle Moran
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Detroit has a rich musical heritage and a significant place in the history of the labor movement, so it’s appropriate the two would merge in the jazz/blues opera “Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant.”
The show, which will be produced Sept. 9-11 at Southfield’s Millennium Centre Theater, premiered in Detroit in March 2004 to sold-out crowds and sterling reviews. It recounts the tale of the late Methodist minister Rev. Lewis Bradford, whose efforts to better conditions for working people is believed to have led to his mysterious death in 1937, after he was found unconscious in an isolated section of the Ford River Rouge Plant.
Bradford’s great-nephew, Maryland jazz composer Steve Jones, uncovered the truth after convincing the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office to find and review Bradford’s autopsy report. Their verdict: Bradford’s death wasn’t accidental.
The minister hosted radio’s “The Forgotten Man’s Hour,” for which he interviewed the poor and unemployed. He urged Henry Ford to improve relations between management and workers, which made Bradford a controversial figure.
“People were not familiar with Lewis Bradford,” said David Elsila, of Grosse Pointe Park, who’s co-producing the show with Lisa Canada, of Ferndale. “It was educational for a lot of the audience members to learn what happened. [And] it shows how the labor movement and the religious community worked together in the 1930s to eliminate the social challenges a lot of people were having. They shared similar goals of ending poverty and creating better lives for people. That’s really the gist of the show.”
Lisha Sly, of Clinton Township, who acts under the name Callie Sue Love, is a member of the worker’s chorus.
“When it came to working and people being organized and working together, that touched my heart,” Sly said. “It didn’t matter if you were white or black — everyone worked together.”
Like Sly, fellow worker’s chorus member Kiesha Key, of St. Clair Shores, wasn’t familiar with Bradford’s story before getting cast in “Forgotten.”
“When you know it’s a true story, it’s that much easier to be the character,” Key said. “I’m glad to be part of this and bring this out.”
Those working on “Forgotten” range from veteran theater professionals to aspiring newcomers. Elsila said audiences can expect a “Broadway-quality show,” with a 25-member cast and a live band.
The cast also includes Michael Carluccio of Macomb Township, Mitchell Q. McMurren and Kae Halonen of West Bloomfield, Davis Gloff of Pleasant Ridge and Alan Canning of Ferndale. John Woodland, of Royal Oak, is the costume designer and Elaine Hendricks Smith, of Eastpointe, is the stage manager.
Although Bradford met a tragic end, the show isn’t all gloomy.
“The music is invigorating and inspirational … You walk out of the theater feeling good and hopeful,” Elsila said.
“Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant” will be performed at 8 p.m. Sept. 9-10 and 3 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Millennium Centre, 15600 J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield. Tickets are $50, with proceeds supporting labor education programs and exhibits by the Michigan Labor History Society. To order tickets, call (313) 577-4003.