Growing up in South Western Ontario, I knew that where I lived was one of the first Canadian safe-havens for formerly enslaved peoples on the Underground Railroad, however I never learned about where that pathway to freedom actually ended. Lost Heroes of Oro, written and directed by Alinka Angelova, is a new musical about just that: the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church which acted as the final marker signifying freedom for those travelling to Canada. Bringing a unique part of Canada’s history to the fore, Lost Heroes of Oro is an intriguing history lesson wrapped up with a song.

Lost Heroes of Oro takes the audience on a journey from Africa, to the southern US, and finally back to Canada through its expansive telling of the life of Richard Pierpoint. Taken from his home in Africa as a young man, Pierpoint worked in cotton fields and as a house slave during his time in America. Eventually, he is offered the opportunity to fight alongside the British against the Americans during the war of independence, and in doing so earn his freedom in Canada. Pierpoint does so, and through several battles with the British politicians running Upper Canada, he manages to establish a community of formerly enslaved people in Oro-Medonte.

All the while, the story is interjected by two friends, Sadie and Chantelle, who are visiting the African Methodist Episcopal Church some 200 years later. The girls not only discover the unique and eventful history of the church, but also that Chantelle has a deeper family connection to the place. The play culminates in the special celebration Chantelle is singing in, which suddenly holds much more meaning than she’d initially imagined.

The story depicted in Lost Heroes of Oro is a vitally important one, as it’s a piece of our history which isn’t widely known. However, there were times within the Musical where the time jumps weren’t clearly outlined, and often gave the feeling that there was information missing. While the story had to end with the life of the main character, it then felt like the information about the church itself, which is a major focal point throughout the play, is sort of shoe-horned into the voiceover at the end. I really enjoyed the play on the words “home and native land” in this play; in our national anthem, they refer to Canada, however to the characters it clearly means Africa, and it allows us to deeply consider the true meaning of those words.

What Lost Heroes of Oro does exceptionally well, however, is to bring up aspects of life as a new Canadian which often aren’t discussed. Harsh realities like the Slave Trade still being active, the land which was given to them being essentially unworkable, and the constant racism they faced with the government that supposedly made them free. As Canadians, we went to paint ourselves a rosy picture of our actions at that time, yet the reality is quite different. While we certainly more closely emulated our British rulers at the time, we weren’t perfect, and Lost Heroes of Oro thankfully doesn’t shy away from that reality.

There are plenty of praise-worthy design elements in Lost Heroes of Oro: the main set piece itself is a brilliant use of negative space to give the image of the church without it being too imposing. The projection design aided in our understanding of which plot line was being portrayed on stage, and the sunrise which opens the production lightened my heart. The costume designs ranged from beautiful African patterns, to the plain cotton clothes of the Deep South, and the military jackets of the age, yet also included the chorale dressed as foliage at one point, which was an interesting choice. The interchange between Richard’s story and the two friends was clear, however it was a shame that you could still clearly see their costumes beneath their party attire; it takes you out of the moment to see these supposedly modern girls with their cotton-picking aprons underneath their jackets. The slave master also uses a whip which is far too long for him to get a real crack out of, taking a bit of the fear that’s clearly trying to be instilled in the audience away. For a huge and historic venue like the Elgin, there were some elements which don’t quite fit into the grandeur of the venue or the story itself.

Richard Brown stars as Old Richard Pierpoint, as he guides the audience through the journey of his character’s life. Brown’s passion in this role exudes from him throughout the performance, even when there are slight technical difficulties. He portrays Pierpoint at several ages, effortlessly transforming his physicality and voice to do so. Emmanuel Onegebeye’s Young Richard mirrors his older counterpart in several ways, including fervour with which the character is played. Natalie Camille’s performance as Rumi/Chantelle is as powerful as her beautiful voice. Rumi goes on such an incredible journey, and Camille’s portrayal of it is heartbreaking. Tyanna Chambers’ Nyota/Sadie are perfect foils for Camille’s roles. Her vibrant stage presence brings light to every scene she’s in. I have to give huge props to Nataniel Porter-Gowan who still performed his heart out even though he was having to do so in a medical boot, including doing a pretty jaunty dance number! Trevor Cartlidge’s role as the Upper Canada Rep is the perfect embodiment of the rosy ideas vs reality that I spoke about earlier, and he carries out this part with the perfect amount of decorum for the time. I wish there had been more than just these two actors when they came to take the folks out of Africa; the danger they were trying to portray is diminished a bit when there’s only two of them for so many other performers on stage. The Chorale does a fantastic job of supporting the main cast, and the numbers they all sang together gave me goosebumps.

Though Lost Heroes of Oro still has some bugs to work out (mic and mix issues and the pacing, for example), the story itself is one that I’m glad is being told. I attended a matinee performance which included several schools and it’s fantastic that they’re getting exposed to this information at a young age. Lost Heroes of Oro is a great teaching tool for all ages, and I think it has great potential for the future.

Lost Heroes of Oro runs at the Elgin Theatre until February 8 with two performances each day. For more information and tickets, visit: https://infinityartsproductions.com/the-lost-heroes-of-oro/

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Cover Photo: The cast of Lost Heroes of Oro. Photo by John Wilkin & Anna Gonzales

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