The Witnesses

The words in Reunion were drawn from or inspired by the words of men and women who went through the conflict—politicians like Lincoln, Edwin Stanton and Gideon Welles; generals as vastly different as McClellan and Sherman and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain; writers like Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman, who volunteered as nurses; abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman; White House intimates like Lincoln secretaries Noah Brooks and John Hay and Mary Todd Lincoln's seamstress/confidant Elizabeth Keckley; Ford's Theatre actors like Harry Hawk and Laura Keene; and dozens of “ordinary”Union soldiers.

The body of great writing that came out of personal experience in the Civil War—collected through the years by historians and family members—allowed us to tell the story entirely from the point-of-view of those who lived it. Their firsthand experiences provide the context that gives meaning to the beautiful wartime music, allowing it to live once again.

The voices heard in Reunion include:

  • Louisa May Alcott
  • Walt Whitman
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • General George McClellan
  • General Ulysses S. Grant
  • General William T. Sherman
  • Frederick Douglass
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Elizabeth Keckley
  • John Wilkes Booth
  • Harry Hawk
  • Laura Keene
  • John Hay
  • John Nicolay
  • Noah Brooks
  • Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
  • Rev. Henry M. Turner
  • Horace Greeley
  • Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • General Joseph Hooker
  • James Russell Lowell
  • General John Pope
  • William Howard Russell
  • General Philip Sheridan
  • Gideon Welles

and dozens  more.

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HOME
THE MUSIC

The 26 songs in Reunion—all from the Civil War or earlier—tell the human stories of the struggle within the North for the soul of the war.

All have new arrangements by musical supervisor Michael O'Flaherty. Many of the songs are rarely heard and will be new to most ears. Those that are more familiar have been given unique treatments. And a couple of songs written in the South are included, because they were as popular in the North as they were in the South.

Song Samples

Original Cast CD

PRESS

Full Reviews & Feature Articles
Links to complete copies of the many reviews and press features written about REUNION.

Highlights
One-page flyer with excerpts from the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, PBS, and many more reviews of past productions.

 

NEWS

News Page

REUNION is now licensed for performance by Samuel French, Inc. and is about to go to press. Click here to learn more.

The Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan's largest professional theatre, has announced REUNION for its 2010-2011 season, opening February 9, 2011. Visit the Meadow Brook.

CONTACT & LICENSING

Contacts

Licensing Information

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© 2010 Jack Kyrieleison. All rights reserved.