Ashli St. Armant is bringing her debut theatrical production, NORTH, to Walton Arts Center’s stage this month. NORTH is a musical for kids and families. Set in the 1850s, the story is based on actual accounts of slave escapes through the Underground Railroad network as well as St. Armant’s family history of overcoming slavery in Louisiana. 

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St. Armant explained the inspiration for NORTH was her son’s lack of knowledge about the Underground Railroad as well as her first trip to Vacherie, Louisiana, where her ancestors had been enslaved. She happened to be in the area doing research for another project when she decided to visit the birthplace of her relatives. St. Armant then visited Oak Alley Plantation, a historical site just down the road from where her enslaved ancestors lived. St. Armant’s song “Oh What These Trees Have Seen” was inspired by the oak trees that lined the plantation. 

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The more research St. Armant did, the more she realized that Black American music is a direct coping response to the Black American experience. St. Armant believes NORTH is a collective story, not just the story of Black Americans, and that her production can help open conversations inside communities. She also hopes everyone, no matter who they may be, will realize the stories from this period in history are the stories that make up all of us. St. Armant has big dreams for her debut production, hoping to get NORTH on Broadway in two years.

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The production features original musical compositions steeped in jazz and other historically Black music genres. St. Armant drew inspiration from an array of musical heroes, including crooner Nat King Cole, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, legendary lyricist Stephen Sondheim and Fela Kuti, known as the father of Afrobeat.