By Maryjane Bradbury
The musical theater production of “David, You, and I” will be performed at Triopia High School on Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 13, at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.
Two extremely creative men took an idea and turned it into this memorable theater production.
Roger Wainwright wrote the music and lyrics to “David, You, and I,” and later collaborated with Ken Bradbury (some of you may have heard of him) to create the musical theater production.
When asked how the idea of this show started, Wainwright shared: “I was the worship leader at Wesley United Methodist Church in Springfield in 1998 and Pastor Rita wanted to do a musical fundraiser, so I suggested the music of ‘JC Superstar,’ and it was a huge success. We later discussed putting on another musical fundraiser, but I wasn’t excited about the shows that were suggested, and I jokingly said, ‘I could write one of those,’ and her reply was, ‘Great, do it.’”
Wainwright shares that he thought to himself, “Uhh ohhhhh.”
Wainwright researched all the Books of Samuel and felt that people haven’t changed much since the days of David, thus the theme of “You and I” being much like David.
Wainwright wrote the music and lyrics for events that were relatable to him. He said, “The process for me was to imagine what I would be feeling or thinking if I were there in those situations. I wrote in first person. The song, ‘I Believe’ is what I would say to God as I was standing before Him. ‘Show Me the Way’ was my prayer to God many times. Bathsheba’s ‘Do You Know’ describes the feelings each of us has experienced at some point in our life.”
Wainwright shared, “In the early 2000s I heard about Ken Bradbury through a friend, so I sent him a few finished recordings of my songs, and he was very encouraging. Then I wrote a script and sent it to Ken asking for an honest review. He gave me what I asked for and, unfortunately, he hated it. But I was not offended. Eventually I asked if he would write the script, and we met in person on December 30, 2004. Ken then took the reins and turned it into what I think was a glorious theater experience. Our working relationship was always fantastic. We never argued; we disagreed on some things, but we would always defer to the betterment of the show. Working with Ken was joyful.”
Wainwright continued, “I will never forget the first rehearsal night of ‘David, You and I.’ I walked through the halls of the Sophie Leschin building and saw the dancers rehearsing in one room, the chorus singing in another room and the actors on stage working on their blocking. To hear these unfamiliar voices learning my harmonies and melodies, and to see the cast hang on every word of Ken’s vision for the stage was overwhelming. And knowing that there were costume designers, set designers and builders, front office people selling tickets and many more rooting for us … I made my way outside, sat down on the ground and cried, not feeling worthy of all this effort. It took seven years, from the first note I wrote, to the first note being played on stage. I think God was just waiting for all involved to be prepared and available for this moment in time. It was worth the wait.”
Wainwright’s collaborator, Ken Bradbury, wrote about his personal experience creating “David, You and I” in his journal named “A Journal of the David Journey.”
Bradbury was well known for creating a chronological diary of each show he wrote, often beginning with the idea that inspired him to write the script, followed by the joys and frustrations of the process. There were many frustrations and many joys.
On the opening night of each show, Bradbury gave all the cast and crew members a copy of the journal; those journals are treasured by many and are still mentioned when former cast members reconnect. The journals varied in length and were usually 30 to 50 pages, single-spaced, per show. The “David, You and I” journal is 82 pages — the longest of all the hundreds of shows Bradbury wrote over 40 years.
Journal entry November 30, 2006:
“Sometimes I need to call Roger just to get my juices flowing. He’s completed the music for my ‘Faith on Wry’ [show] and is recording it next week … each instrument symbolizing a different character in the play. He’s so much as implied that he’s the weak sister in our writing partnership, but he’s the genius.”
Bradbury’s final “David, You and I” journal entry dated Monday, August 6, 2007:
“This morning I read the first page of this journal, December 30, 2004, I think something important may have happened tonight so I’ll take a few notes. I traveled to Jacksonville to meet with Roger Wainwright …Yeah … Something So Spectacular.”
Ken Bradbury, who wrote four books, more than 500 speeches, 200 plays and musicals, and countless songs, passed away in 2018.
Roger Wainwright is the praise band director at Chatham United Methodist Church and performs in five bands. He has recorded more than 100 original songs. Wainwright said he has no plans of writing another musical, noting, “It wouldn’t be the same without Ken.”
