Adapting the History

Adapting the History John Newton's life story is recorded in one autobiographical work: An Authentic Narrative of Some Remarkable Particulars in the Life of John Newton published in the late 1700s. It is from this work that Chris Smith developed the forty factual points on which the musical is based. These are verifiable historical anchors that guide the story. Conveying these in a coherent way without confusing the audience or making them feel as though they are in a history class is at the heart of making the musical deep without being tedious.

In order to convey the emotional turmoil, romantic tension and spiritual struggles that transformed our characters, it was necessary to condense certain areas and expound upon others. Some of these were for the sake of brevity. Events that occurred on four separate ships, for example, have been condensed to just two (a fact which will please producers and set designers and diminish confusion on the part of the audience.)

The characters have also been developed to answer logical questions. The person of Mary Catlett, with whom John fell breathlessly in love, has very few historical references that we are aware of. It was for this reason that Chris made certain artistic decisions to answer questions such as: "Why did Mary wait for John when he was lost in Africa? Did her parents pressure her to marry? How did she explain her persistence in waiting?"

Rather than bring in a host of potential suitors for Mary, we have condensed them into one non-historical figure. Other non-historical figures help with the exposition or illuminate aspects which would otherwise create confusion. In the end, some decisions were purely for the purposes of entertainment. The age of Mary's brother was adjusted to bring in comic relief, for instance.

Justifying these decisions could take up a book in itself, but in the end musical theatre is about entertaining and engaging an audience. So the "True Story" part of the title is embodied in the accurate portrayal of the forty historical points mentioned above. The rest is color and support for the purpose of the piece, which is to present a compelling theatrical experience.

Why a musical?

Early in the life of the piece (before many of the songs were written) many people asked Chris, who was a video producer/director at the time, why he didn't want to write the story as a film. He explains:

"Musicals have a much longer lifespan than films. They circulate, tour, have CD versions, then move into college and high school settings. You can actually participate in a musical. When I was a teenager, I would sit by the record player and listen to West Side Story. I would sing it, hum it, and think about what it meant. When I started acting in shows, I became immersed in their meaning. I want Amazing Grace: The True Story to get into peoples thoughts. I want them to think about what Jesus did in this man's life. I think this is the best way to do that." - Chris Smith

Will there ever be a movie of the musical? It is possible once the show has had time to complete commercial runs and the current Amazing Grace film (which focuses on William Wilberforce not John Newton) is given a chance to complete its course. In the meantime, the musical will live out its potential on the stage in front of live audiences.

People often ask if the recent Wilberforce film (which has no relation to our project) has impacted the marketing potential of Amazing Grace: The True Story. Because John Newton's character only plays a supporting role in the film, the impact so far has been positive. The public has become more aware of John Newton as a historical figure without being over-saturated with information about him. We hope to tap into the growing hunger for positive stories about men and women of faith and Newton's story will be at the heart of this effort.