Terrence and Rebecca Powers Cranert recently relocated to Springfield from California, where they had raised a family and enjoyed successful careers. Terrence Cranert was chief trial attorney for Zurich Insurance in Los Angeles. And Rebecca Cranert held leadership positions in theater, education and business. Their shared dream was to create and produce their own musical stage production.
After more than 20 years of planning, writing and composing (while working full time) the Cranerts made their dream come true with an original show titled The Lincolns of Springfield. The musical premieres at the Hoogland Center for the Arts June 15 with five weekly performances continuing through July 30. The Cranerts describe the show as “a love story that explores how a backwoods genius and a Southern belle – the most unlikely of couples – meet, fall in love, marry and become our first power couple, who freed a people and saved our country.”
The Lincolns of Springfield is a grand performance, featuring a cast of Broadway actors, beautiful costumes, powerful music and an amazing gospel choir. The creative team comprises award-winning professionals, including musical director Steven Applegate, costume designer Shon LeBlanc and choreographer Maria Del Bagno.
Both the Cranerts have had a passion for theater since their youth. Terrence Cranert earned a bachelor’s degree in theater and music from Indiana University. He attended the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop under the tutelage of the late Lehman Engel, known as the dean of the Broadway musical, where he received an education on writing musicals. He also has a law degree from Loyola University.
Rebecca Cranert received a full scholarship to the USC-Los Angles Civic Opera musical theater program. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature/theater arts at Los Angeles State University. She continued her studies at the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts and the Actors Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She is a professional singer and performer.
The Lincolns of Springfield is not Terrence Cranert’s first foray into theater production. He previously co-produced A Night with Janis Joplin, On the Town and Thirty-nine Steps on Broadway. However, The Lincolns of Springfield was a bigger undertaking. Terrence Cranert wrote the story, and composed the music and lyrics. Rebecca Cranert is the show producer. She has expertise in theater operations, including stage management, hiring cast and crew and marketing.
“Our process started with extensive research on the lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln,” says Terrence Cranert. “We needed to get everything right historically. The initial draft went through scrupulous review by Lincoln scholars, followed by lots of editing and rewriting. Next, we did table readings and workshops to test the show on stage, with additional rounds of editing and fine-tuning. We also went to New York City for readings by professional actors.”
The show debuted in Santa Barbara, California, in October 2022 and received excellent reviews with one reviewer likening it to “the grand style of a Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Loewe musical.”
After much thought and discussion, the couple decided that Springfield – the Land of Lincoln – was the natural place to take the musical to the next level. “We are both originally from the Midwest, and we wanted to get back to our roots,” explains Rebecca Cranert. “And, of course, Springfield is home to Lincoln’s legacy, attracting tourists from across the country and around the world. The Lincolns of Springfield will be yet another attraction.”
The Cranerts say this is a great family-friendly show. It is both entertaining and educational. Few may know that as a young girl Mary Todd proclaimed that she would one day marry a president and live in the White House. While growing up in the South, she helped her father’s household slaves with the Underground Railroad. She was a true abolitionist and supported Abraham Lincoln’s dreams of freedom for all. Another key (but little known) character is Elizabeth Keckly, a former slave who was Mary’s closest friend and dressmaker. She is the “storyteller” for the show.
The show’s music has been described as stirring and uplifting. The cast recorded the songs with string and horn sections played by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. It is now available on streaming services such as Spotify.
The Cranerts plan to schedule performances in Springfield annually. In the meantime, they are in negotiations to bring The Lincolns of Springfield to Broadway.
For an immersive experience, audience members can enjoy a “White House State Banquet” featuring an elegant three-course dinner or luncheon before the show. These VIP Presidential tickets are $62 for adults and $42 for children 12 and under. General admission tickets are $22 and $32.
For more information and to purchase tickets to The Lincolns of Springfield, visit hcfta.org.
Jean Campbell is a Springfield freelance writer who loves to tell stories of interesting people, places and organizations.
This article appears in Juneteenth 2023.
