A Bridge To The Promised Land: 1968
A tale of our times
A Bridge To The Promised Land: 1968 is a gut wrenching, multimedia theater experience composed by noted Black composer, Milton Williams.
A play that tells the story of Inequality and Discrimination
This is the story of Hubert Turner, a Black mayor of a large city in the southern United States - in 1972. Hubert’s wife has passed away leaving behind Hubert and his university age daughter Ginnie, whom he loves dearly.
At the start of the play, Mayor Hubert Turner finds himself with three options: (1) becoming the U.S. Vice-President (by a sad twist of fate), (2) running for the U.S. Senate with the expectation of winning the seat, or (3) remaining in the position of mayor.
He is receiving great pressure from both sides of a local dispute. Some wealthy and influential real estate investors have convinced Hubert to tear down an old hotel that has long been a homeless refuge in order to build a much needed parking structure.
However, Mayor Turner’s daughter Ginnie has become the leader of a notorious, radical university group, demonstrating against his pet project of tearing down the Dirksen hotel to build the parking garage south of Mission Street.
For over a week, three citizens have been seated outside of Hubert’s office, hoping for a chance to speak with him about their pressing individual concerns. Their narratives reveal a deep discord among many of Hubert’s constituency that has resulted in protest marches around the Dirksen Hotel. One such event results in gun fire.
The play ends with an appeal to love, replacing the present hate and injustice so prevalent and persistent in our nation and the world.
Commentary on the work of Milton Williams
(Producing Artistic Director)
"Transfigured Blues.... showed Williams to be an outstanding tunesmith who can also write in an operatic idiom with facility.... Williams is an extremely gifted melodist – a near extinct species."
San Jose Mercury News
"Milton Williams is a highly skilled conductor
and arranger and
a talented composer, His music is
free of gimmicks and pretensions."
Performing Arts in Canada
“His smooth deep voice pushed home the message beautifully.
The man could make a tax return sound like the Bible.”
Register-Pajaronian
"...the singer in the later section
(of Bernstein’s Mass) was
in fact another fine bass,
Milton Williams...”
Bruce-Michael Gelbert
TheaterScene.net, NYC
“WOW. That would be my initial scholarly assessment.... The concept is fantastic....”
Amy Henderson
(a Smithsonian Institution Curator Emeritus)
“Milton Williams was a master at the helm of orchestra, chorus, and soloists. He did an amazing job in this enormous undertaking.”
San Francisco Chronicle
"You could spend two years on Broadway without seeing anything more buoyant or more convincing. Milton Williams conducted the Oakland Symphony and others superbly."
Oakland Tribune
“The assured resonant Williams gave heft
and flesh to the title role.”
Los Angeles Times
