NEW YORK—In the latter part of Act 2 of the Broadway musical “Amazing Grace,” John Newton (Josh Young), an English slave trader who has recently seen the error of his ways, is confronted by Thomas (Chuck Cooper), his former slave. Their reunion is raw, fraught with emotion—on Thomas’s part, full of anger and bitterness, and on John’s part, shame. With the musical perfectly staged and performed brilliantly by both actors, the audience was completely silent as the scene unfolded.
Had the entire musical (music and lyrics by Christopher Smith, book by Christopher Smith and Arthur Giron) been played at this level, the show would have been magnificent. Sadly, this was not the case.
John Newton (R) (Josh Young), a one-time slave trader, asks forgiveness of his former slave, Thomas (L) (Chuck Cooper), while the company looks on. The play depicts events from the life of John Newton, the composer of the famous hymn (also the title of the musical) "Amazing Grace." Joan Marcus
