BROADWAY WORLD, by Marina Kennedy

"An exhilarating production, Cross That River, is now onstage at 59E59 Theaters through December 31st. The show has a riveting story along with a fabulous score and the finest musical accompaniment. It features direction by Regge Life, composition by Allan Harris, with a book by Allan and Pat Harris. This is a show for these times, a passionate and inspiring piece of theatre portraying the spirit and courage that built America."

 

HUFFINGTON POST, by David Winkle

"Aside from Harris’s score, the Cross That River highlights are the singers—Harris, of course, included. Whether soloing or supporting, the four sound glorious, their acting also enhancing."

 

NY TIMES, by Maya Phillips

"A “protean talent” best known for his takes on jazz standards, Mr. Harris flaunts his musical showmanship for the stage. “Cross That River” opens with a dissonant jazz instrumental that slowly builds to harmony and breaks open into electrifying solos. It’s a fiery introduction to a show that mixes jazz, blues and country and works best when it lives in the unpredictable spaces between genres, as in the song “Blue Was Angry,” which ends with a rousing performance by the percussionist Shirazette Tinnin."

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BACK STAGE, by Ruthie Fierberg

“Devastatingly moving describes the theatrical experience of "Cross That River." Unafraid to take risks,

songwriter Harris proves he has the talent to meld American musical styles—blues, folk, country, jazz,

gospel, and rock—into a cohesive score. He also displays heart serving as the story's narrator and main

character, Blue.”

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WASHINGTON POST, by Mike Joyce

“Although Allan Harris is best known as a jazz vocalist ... he's no stranger to Southern rock, R&B, blues,

country and blue-grass. "Cross That River" is his most ambitious album yet, a country-before-it-was cool

song cycle inspired by the oft-overlooked history of the African American cowboy.”

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COUNTRY MUSIC WEEKLY, by Chris Neal

“This head-turning concept album about a 19th-century slave who becomes a cowboy grabs you from

the opening line (Mama said a white man be comin’ in the morning / Gonna drag Big Daddy away) and

never lets go. Cross That River demands your attention.”

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PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, by Nick Cristiano

“Cross That River succeeds magnificently with a song cycle about African American cowboys starting in

the Civil War era. With the music echoing country, gospel, Spanish, R&B and Celtic strains, Harris mixes

vividly authentic portraits of fictional individuals like Blue, an escaped slave, with broader tales of

symbolically powerful historical groups ("Buffalo Soldiers," "Black Seminoles"). And his silky, openhearted

vocals embody the undying human spirit captured in these songs.”

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VINTAGE GUITAR, by JH

“The idea and sound here are so unique it’s nay impossible to draw comparisons, but the highlights

include “Diamond Jimmy,” an amazing tale of betrayal with great jazzy acoustic guitar by Harris, and

amazing background vocals. “Mule Skinner” is brutal in its frankness, with an eerie lyric and melody;

guitars and violins ride the music out to great effect. While those two songs are a highlight, there are

no bad songs.”

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ASPEN MAGAZINE, by Lois Smith Bradley

“Harris decided to make a country music CD partly because it symbolizes unity and blurred boundaries.

“I wanted to show that we, as people of color, were part of the romance of the West, too,” Harris says.

“We didn’t just pick cotton and serve drinks on the train and wash clothes. We were part of this magical

thing called the American West.”

 

​​THEATER REVIEW, by Matthew Murray 

“Harris understandably saves some of the choicest numbers for himself: “Cross That River,” sung with his surrogate mother and fellow slave,Mama Lila (Soara-Joye Ross), as he prepares his escape from the plantation in the wake of his father’s death; “Blue Was Angry,” in which he and his younger self (Brandon Gill) confront their rage at the start of the journey; the haunting “Cry of the Thunderbird,” the only music on the endless, loveless prairie; and a power-packed one-two punch at the end of the second act, “My Dreams Are You” and “I Do Believe,” for Blue to meditate on the resolution of his two greatest love affairs: with Annie and with America itself.”

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SHOWBUSINESS WEEKLY, by Marianne Moore

 “The opening of Cross that River, one of the most exciting offerings at the New York Musical Theatre Festival this year, will inevitably remind some of “Waiting for Guffman,” as escapedslave-turned-cowboy Blue (Allan Harris) invites us to gather ‘round and listen to his tale. But hokeyness is no handicap at NYMF, especially when a production is as witty and spirited as Cross that River. The musical canvasses the Wild West, and all of our favorite stock characters are there, as well as a few we haven’t met yet. There are saloon girls, fire and brimstone revival preachers, mad-eyed cattle-drivers, buffalo soldiers and mail-order brides. Music and lyrics by Allan Harris take us from angsty blues to belted gospel hymns to twangy waltzes that would do Dolly proud.”

 

LAURIE LAWSON REVIEW

“There is so much to praise about this production. A story that includes brutal reality of which few are aware, a courage and perseverance displayed by a talented cast (Harris, Whitney Bashor, and Tony Perry are a few of the show-stopping singers), an intense love interest (Wendy Lynette Fox), racism, patriotism, spirituality, and the list goes on. CROSS THAT RIVER is one of those rare gems that keep theatergoers visiting Off-Broadway. A delight to discover, one can only hope that we have not seen the last of this musical masterpiece.”

 

BACK STAGE, by Ruthie Fierberg

"This vital fusion of American music styles and groundbreaking talent fosters the evolution of musical theater as an art form."

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MUSIC ROW, by Robert K. Oermann

“Harris is an African American who has penned a song cycle telling the story of black cowboys in history.

Its evocative title tune tells the tale of a slave yearning to be free out west. His richly burnished vocal is

backed by beautifully played acoustic instruments. This excellent music will be part of the Kennedy

Center’s first country music festival, coordinated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and kicking off

March 20.”

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SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY

“an ecstatic, athletic, sublime performance…by blackout I was shaking.”

 

TALKIN’ BROADWAY

“one of the strongest scores heard on New York stages this year”

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BACKSTAGE

‘Devastatingly moving”

 

OffOff Broadway:

“theatrical magic.”

 

NEW YORK SUN

“The score is glorious: marches, waltzes, lively Nashvillestyle two-steps, even a Mexican-style bolero.”

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THE COURIER:

“Harris beautifully combines dazzling artistry on guitar, and skill as narrator.”

 

TOTAL THEATER

“a play which is both thoroughly entertaining and thoughtfully enlightening”

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THEATER PIZZAZZ

“Resounding with spirit and vitality​"

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CBS NEWS, by Cindy Hsu

"Cross That River should be seen by all people; it is a fantastic and uplifting American story.”

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Full reviews available upon request.

 

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