The Mighty Oaks | By Keith Martin

Tommy and John Thomas Oaks: Father/Son Duo Behind Fresh, New, Original Musicals

Dr. Janet Barton Speer

“The Mighty Oaks” By Keith Martin

Most 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 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

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fifty stage productions in various capacities.

Speer says her friendship with the Oaks dates back to 1997 and a production of their two-man show, Star Queen. “I was so taken with the music and storytelling that I asked John Thomas to join the LeesMcRae Summer Theatre company. Since that time, we have written four shows together.

“We got into biographical musicals,” Speer said, “when the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation asked me to write a play on the Moses Cone story, The Denim King. It is pure joy to research these stories then see what genius J.T. and Tommy could bring to them. Because of the distance between our homes, we seldom get to meet so we communicate electronically until the piece is ready to go to the actors.

“I think what makes it all work is our ability to set our egos aside and adjust. We give one another feedback, and of course that may not always be met with a change, but most frequently it is. What a joy it has been to work with these two men. They are not only amazing in their talent, but they are the best of human beings. They like telling stories that boost the soul, and I have ‘so been boosted’ for many years.”

John Thomas said that in addition to being a great friend and advocate, Speer has been essential to the success of their musicals. “She came to Heaton Christian Church to see our first musical… and invited us to be part of the summer theatre season at Lees-McRae. Dr. Speer is a brilliant director. I have watched in amazement at countless rehearsals as she has taught choreography and helped a cast grasp her vision for the show. She is compassionate and funny, but also firm and laser-focused. She also brought a cast of LMC students to New York City for a live reading of a King David musical on which we were working.”

The family’s faith tradition informs their work with original works such as Mark… My Words, featuring the entire text of the Gospel of Mark, Ruthie and Bo, a 1950s doo-wop update of the story of Ruth from the Bible, True to You about the life of King David, Star Queen, based on the life of Queen Esther, Sunny, based on “The Prodigal Son” parable, and Moses: The Musical.

“Many of our shows are versions of Biblical stories,” said J.T. “We believe the Bible is full of wonderful stories that translate well to theatrical settings. That doesn’t mean we believe the Bible is a book of fairy tales. The stories in the Bible help define who we are and what we believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, life here on earth, and life ever after.

“If not for Dr. Speer, we would likely not still be writing today,” J.T. continued. “When writing a show, it becomes necessary at some point to realize the script and score onstage with a live cast. I am not exaggerating when I say that Dr. Speer has helped to make our dreams come true. There is nothing like sitting in an orchestra pit or audience and watching a musical come together the way Dr. Speer puts it together. We don’t have the words to adequately thank her.”

There is no shortage of ideas in the Oaks household. Current projects on which the duo are working include a musical prequel to the Cinderella fairytale called Ella, writing a sci-fi novel, a television show based on Don Quixote, an epic poem based on the life of King David, and Way Back When, a folk musical from the first five chapters of the book of Genesis.

Those projects are in addition to several unproduced shows that are waiting for the right theatre company to come along. These include Point of an Arrow, String of a Bow, an original Robin Hood musical, and Mars Needs Bikinis, a campy musical that is a love letter to the cheesy sci-fi and beach blanket films of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

At the moment, however, rehearsals are underway for America’s Artist: The Norman Rockwell Story with performances scheduled from July 25 to August 1 in Hayes Auditorium on the Lees-McRae College campus in Banner Elk, NC. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit their website at lmc.edu/ community/summer-theatre or call the box office at 828-898-8709.

567 Main Street East | Banner Elk, NC 28604

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