Tommy and John Thomas Oaks: Father/Son Duo Behind Fresh, New, Original Musicals
“The Mighty Oaks” M
ost writers have a fondness for particular subjects in the beats on which they report. My affinity is for fresh, new, original works in any performing arts medium: dance, music, or theatre. This highest praise is reserved for those companies who believe in reforesting the American theatre by planting a few new trees rather than harvesting the same old chestnuts… over and over again. Alas, the honor roll of organizations that do so on a consistent basis is very small, less than a handful, and includes the likes of Barter Theatre, In/Visible Theatre and, for new musicals, Lees-McRae Summer Theatre (LMST). That last company may be a surprise to some readers, because the creative challenges and financial risks inherent in producing the world premiere of a new musical are daunting in any season, much less for a summer theatre that lives or dies from box office revenue. Fortunately, for the last 36 years, LeesMcRae Summer Theatre’s founder and artistic director has been the indefatigable Dr. Janet Barton Speer. This dynamo is responsible for commissioning, producing, directing, and choreographing some of the most creative and innovative new musicals in our region, and her most frequent collaborators have been the father-son composer/lyricist team of Tommy and John Thomas ( J.T.) Oaks, often serving as book writers as well. J. T. has also served as musical director, music arranger, and pianist for numerous LMST productions.
Together this prolific trio has been responsible for mainstage productions, such as From The Mountaintop: The Edgar Tufts Story (2019), a historical musical based on the life of the founder of Lees-McRae Institute, Canon Memorial Hospital, and Grandfather Mountain Orphanage; The Denim King (2007 and 2015), based on the story of Moses Cone and commissioned by the Blue Ridge Parkway Association; and children’s musicals, including A Whale of a Tale (2019), a swashbuckling, high-seas adventure version of the Biblical story of Jonah, Screen Test (2018), a musical exploring the problems associated with too much technology and social media, Passport, Please (2017), a musical journey around the world to discover what true wealth really is, and Davey Crockett: A Night at the Alamo, which is planned for production in the summer of 2022. This summer, the trio combine for yet another world premiere, America’s Artist: The Norman Rockwell Story about the prolific painter and illustrator whose works found popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades. Creating more than 4,000 pieces of iconic art in his lifetime, Rockwell captured the essence of America with each paint stroke, from “Rosie the Riveter” to “The Four
Dr. Janet Barton Speer
By Keith Martin Freedoms,” with his paintings and illustrations reflecting America as we wish it to be. “After the success of From The Mountaintop,” said J.T., “Dr. Speer approached us about writing another historical musical. We landed on Norman Rockwell, and immediately gravitated to a jazzy, ragtime style score that hopefully makes the show resonate with a solid American nostalgia. Once we decided on that particular musical direction, it was great fun putting the music and lyrics together.” The Oaks live in Knoxville, TN, and have been performing together for 30 years. Tommy (the elder Oaks) says he was “the first person in the world to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Storytelling from East Tennessee State University” and calls himself “a preacher and a storyteller.” Dr. Oaks—he has a Pd.D. from the University of Tennessee—has been preaching for over fifty of his 74 years, with a variety of experiences in the ministry, including in youth ministry, as a pulpit preacher, in campus ministry, and for years as a full time traveling evangelist. “Thirty-plus years… and countin’!” he said. The resume for John Thomas (the younger Oaks) lists extensive credits from the Broadway production of Annie Get Your Gun to “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” to Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, along with over a dozen recordings, radio, film and television work, and over continued on next page CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Summer 2021 —
39
