ON RADAR
Photo from a recent Vaudeville production the group was apart of in which they performed the song “Wanda Savage” at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA. In the middle playing Wanda is Samantha Myburgh, who is part Indigenous. (Credit: Jaime Robinson)
e g a v Sa the Musical Now you can hear the distinct, contemporary music from “Savage the Musical”, the dramatic musical inspired by the true story of Chickasaw sharpshooter and silent film actress Wanda Savage.
“Savage the Musical” is a dramatic musical inspired by the true story of Wanda Savage, a Chickasaw sharpshooter and silent film actress of the 1920s. The musical tells the story of Savage, who was an independent Indigenous mother who fought against oppression, racism, sexism, and abuse. Wanda’s great-granddaughter Nicolette Blount wrote the book with Lindel Hart, composed music with
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John Waynelovich, and wrote the lyrics herself. According to Nicolette, the show is a story of a Native American woman in a modern time, with two scenes taking place on her reservation. The Chickasaw language, which is endangered, is incorporated into the show. “We have a song called ‘Unconquerable’ with the Chickasaw language in it.” The song was inspired by the fact that her tribe was once called “Unconquerable” by the
French and many others who attempted to conquer them. The musical decided to release an EP in response to the COVID pandemic, which shut down the rehearsals for the first production. Since fans and followers of the musical were disappointed since they planned on attending the show, Nicolette wanted to give them something in the meantime. She released an album with seven of the twenty-eight songs in