A scene from the musical, “My Idlewild,” which took place on and off the stage in the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee.
Story and photos by Stewart A. McFerran
“My Idlewild: A Live Historical Musical Revue,” performed Saturday evening at the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts in Manistee, is a thoroughly entertaining look back at the talented folk who escaped to this Black resort community in western Michigan to swim, fish and relax on the shores of the area’s clear lakes.
As this lively production shows, their experiences at the place known as “Black Eden,” during Jim Crow segregation, created special memories not only for them but for those who stayed, summered and lived there.
It was a unique mix that this African American community brought to the shores of Idlewild Lake. There’s a Lake County Historical Society photo, circa 1928, of jazz great Louis Armstrong, a smile on his face, as he sat in the back of a rowboat, his band as crew, on Idlewild Lake. Then there are the revelations of civil rights activist and Idlewild property owner W.E.B. Du Bois, written during a delightful nap in cool shade on an Idlewild porch.
The joy of relaxing among friends in a supportive community shines throughout this musical, written by Gezelle Grier Myers in 2011 for Idlewild’s 2012 centennial and co-directed by O.G. and Nicole Myers. Gezelle Myers and her siblings, all of whom are musical, still have strong roots there. Most have memories of attending school in the area. This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the family’s Grier Music Fest, which takes place July 5 in Idlewild. (See the link to the Freshwater Reporter 2023 story about the Grier Music Fest and other stories of Idlewild, at the end of this piece.)
“The play is about what Idlewild means to me,” Myers said during a presentation about Idlewild hosted by MARJDI (Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative) last month at Manistee’s West Shore Community College campus, which my editor attended. “(It’s) a combination of real (people and events), history, fun, entertainment, music … It changes a little every year.”
Her musical features some of the illustrious folk who came to Idlewild during its heyday in the ’40s, ’50s and early ’60s to unwind –- and some to entertain, such as award-winning jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, jazz pianist/composer/singer Fats Waller and ’60s pop vocalists, the Four Tops. (A son of one of the latter supports Idlewild in various ways.) The setting is Zelles Juke Joint, where they sing and dance on stage and cavort with those appearing as “the crowd” at nightclub tables just in front of the stage.
Dr. Daniel Williams (1856-1931), the African American physician and surgeon who performed the first successful open heart surgery, was introduced by narrator Barbara McGregory. His character walked on stage to the cheers of a full house at the Ramsdell. Doctor Williams bought property in Idlewild and lived out his life on the lake. Williams Island bears his name.
Joe Howard III appears on stage as novelist Charles Waddell Chestnut, who tells the story of how he came to Idlewild, Michigan, and stayed to write. Howard also plays NBA pioneer Reggie Fox, Dr. Nelson, and insurance magnate Sonny Foxborough. Foxborough founded the Rosana Tavern, now Peyton’s Bar and Grill, the sole dining establishment of that era still in operation, according to Myers.
Amber Love was at the Ramsdell with her equipment filming “My Idlewild.” She has been involved in the Idlewild Film Festival and plans to produce a documentary about the community.
The Saturday program was presented by MARJDI, the Manistee Area Racial Justice and Diversity Initiative through the Manistee Community Foundation, and made possible in part by the Michigan Humanities Council.
Stewart McFerran writes about music, history and environmental topics from a historical perspective. He lives near the Platte River in Benzie County.
For previous stories about the community of Idlewild, click HERE.
