Crossin' Over

Ron Himes and Charles Creath first debuted their musical revue Crossin' Over in 2005, when we were fighting a war on terror and our civic freedoms were being restrained in the name of public safety. Twelve years later the show returns to a changed America, one that's seen the gains in liberty and equality achieved under our first black president under assault from yet another power-mad dum-dum. Crossin' Over charts the path of the African diaspora, from the middle passage to the civil rights movement. The show incorporates the entire trajectory of black spiritual music, from traditional West African drumming to church hymns and gospel standards, right up to the contemporary gospel of the moment. Throughout, the music runs the constant refrain of survival and resistance -- we shall overcome, no matter the odds. Crossin' Over is performed at 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (May 26 to June 18) in the Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe State University (3026 Laclede Avenue; www.theblackrep.org). Tickets are $10 to $40.