LICENSING
A Story of HOPE, The Song of FREEDOM
A Story of HOPE
The Song of FREEDOM
Now You Can Perform this Unforgettable Broadway Musical on YOUR Theater's Stage
Amateur and Professional Licenses Available!
AMAZING GRACE is a new original musical based on the awe-inspiring true story behind the world’s most beloved song. A captivating tale of romance, rebellion and redemption, this radiant production follows one man whose incredible journey ignited a historic wave of change.
John Newton, a willful and musically talented young Englishman, faces a future as uncertain as the turning tide. Coming of age as Britain sits atop an international empire of slavery, he finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his father, a slave trader, or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart. Accompanied by his slave, Thomas, John embarks on a perilous voyage on the high seas. When that journey finds John in his darkest hour, a transformative moment of self-reckoning inspires a blazing anthem of hope that will finally guide him home.
Brimming with emotion and adventure, AMAZING GRACE is an unforgettable musical saga that captures the spirit of history’s sweetest and most powerful sound: freedom.
To read the full show story, please click here. Or for licensing specifics, please read below.
Two Exciting Versions Available
Licensing Option #1
National Tour
- 22 person cast originally, but could be increased in size (see breakdown below)
- Two acts (2 hours, 30 minutes)
- 13-person orchestra (see below for breakdown)
- Professional keyboard programming available for rental
Licensing Option #3
One-Act
- 15 person cast (could be expanded, see breakdown below
- One act (1 hour, 40 minutes)
- Fully tracked show (tracks included!) and piano/vocal performance book option
- Performer learning aid audios available for your cast
We also have study guides, dramaturgy packets, and the Broadway logo available for rental.
NOTE: Some materials are delivered to you digitally.
Please click on the applicable section below for more details.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
JOHN NEWTON: (Tenor, Caucasian – 20’s) British Dialect (RP) A rebel, who is roguishly attractive. Starts the show arrogant, defiant, and resentful after the early loss of his mother. He turns his back on his musical gifts, and dreams of adventure and profit on the high seas in the slave trade. He is smitten with his childhood friend Mary and longs for a relationship with his aloof and severe father. Through his many trials and tribulations he transforms into a passionate, selfless man who pens the lyrics to the title song and devotes the rest of his life to abolishing slavery.
MARY CATLETT: (Mezzo-Soprano/Soprano, Caucasian – 20’s) British Dialect (RP) – Chatham, England’s own songbird who longs for a career as a concert vocalist, possessing a noble spirit and elegant beauty. Her inquisitive nature and courage lead her to a life of intrigue in the anti-slavery movement. She loves John as a man and as a friend and she never stops seeing the good in him.
PAKUTEH (THOMAS): (Bari-tenor, African/African American – 35 – 50) African Dialect -Resourceful and protective, Thomas has been the house slave of the Newton family since John’s boyhood, effectively raising him after his mother’s death. He possesses a quiet inner strength and patience, which helps him deal with John’s unpredictable and volatile behavior, as well as and his own enslavement.
CAPTAIN NEWTON: (Baritone, Caucasian – 50’s to 60’s) British Dialect (RP) – John’s father, head of the Royal Africa Company, a successful slave-trading empire. Charismatic, authoritative, disciplined, and cool. He is purpose-driven and dreams that his son will rise through educated and perhaps become a member of the British Parliament.
KATUMAH (NANNA): (Alto, African/African-American – 30’s to 40’s) African Dialect – The nurturing, wise and protective house servant of the Catletts. Sold into captivity as a young woman, she is pragmatic, deeply spiritual and has come to love Mary like her own daughter.
MAJOR ARCHIBALD GRAY: (Tenor, Caucasian – 30’s) British Dialect (RP) – Gray is fastidious, self-assured and confident to the point of narcissism. His Royal relatives have assured him promotion within the army and he now deals with thorny problems such as the rising tide of abolitionism.
PRINCESS PEYAI: (Alto, African-American – 30’s to 40’s) African Dialect – The stunning, charismatic African princess of the Sherbro tribe. Based on an actual person, she is a powerful slave trader who, through an alliance with the French, sells her own people into bondage. Peyai is ambitous, seductive, and ruthless.
ENSEMBLE
NOTE: The following roles were originally cast from an ensemble of 15 actors consisting of 6 Male English Ensemble, 3 African Male Ensemble, 3 English Female Ensemble and 3 African Female Ensemble. These roles also included understudies for the 7 Principals:
YEMA: (African/African-American, 20’s) African Dialect – Nanna’s daughter, now a domestic slave to Princess Peyai in Africa. She is compassionate, but deeply wounded by the sale of her mother.
CARLOTTA NEWTON: (Caucasian, olive skin) Italian dialect – Second wife to Captain Newton. John perceives her as a coarse opportunist, on the make and using his father to rise into a higher social standing.
NOTE: The one-act version was created to be a 15-person ensemble show. Except for John Newton and Mary Catlett, actors played multiple roles. Other named parts (such as sailors) can be assigned to different actors in the scene.
Here is the original 15 actor breakdown used (original doublings are noted), although these could be split up to accommodate more actors if needed:
ENGLISH CHARACTERS (six English males, three English females)
- John Newton
- Mary Catlett
- Captain Newton, Ensemble
- Major Gray, Ensemble
- Robert Haweis, Mr. Quigley, Ensemble
- Rabbi Einhorn, Mr. Whitley, Ensemble
- Captain Billingsley, Monsieur Clow, Prince Frederick, Ensemble
- Mrs. Catlett, Carlotta, Ensemble
- Sophie, Ensemble
- Pakuteh (Thomas), Ensemble
- Katumah (Nanna), Ensemble
- Princess Peyai, Ensemble
- Dembo (Mr. Tyler), Kaamor, Ensemble
- Yema, Tennah, Ensemble
- Seaman Fuller, Ensemble
CAST OF CHARACTERS
JOHN NEWTON: (Tenor, Caucasian – 20’s) British Dialect (RP) A rebel, who is roguishly attractive. Starts the show arrogant, defiant, and resentful after the early loss of his mother. He turns his back on his musical gifts, and dreams of adventure and profit on the high seas in the slave trade. He is smitten with his childhood friend Mary and longs for a relationship with his aloof and severe father. Through his many trials and tribulations, he transforms into a passionate, selfless man who pens the lyrics to the title song and devotes the rest of his life to abolishing slavery.
MARY CATLETT: (Mezzo-Soprano/Soprano, Caucasian – 20’s) British Dialect (RP) – Chatham, England’s own songbird who longs for a career as a concert vocalist, possessing a noble spirit and elegant beauty. Her inquisitive nature and courage lead her to a life of intrigue in the anti-slavery movement. She loves John as a man and as a friend and she never stops seeing the good in him.
PAKUTEH (THOMAS): (Bari-tenor, African/African American – 35 – 50) African Dialect -Resourceful and protective, Thomas has been the house slave of the Newton family since John’s boyhood, effectively raising him after his mother’s death. He possesses a quiet inner strength and patience, which helps him deal with John’s unpredictable and volatile behavior, as well as and his own enslavement.
CAPTAIN NEWTON: (Baritone, Caucasian – 50’s to 60’s) British Dialect (RP) – John’s father, head of the Royal Africa Company, a successful slave-trading empire. Charismatic, authoritative, disciplined, and cool. He is purpose-driven and dreams that his son will rise through education and perhaps become a member of the British Parliament.
KATUMAH (NANNA): (Alto, African/African-American – 30’s to 40’s) African Dialect – The nurturing, wise and protective house servant of the Catletts. Sold into captivity as a young woman, she is pragmatic, deeply spiritual and has come to love Mary like her own daughter.
MAJOR ARCHIBALD GRAY: (Tenor, Caucasian – 30’s) British Dialect (RP) – Gray is fastidious, self-assured and confident to the point of narcissism. His Royal relatives have assured him promotion within the army and he now deals with thorny problems such as the rising tide of abolitionism.
ROBERT HAWEIS: (Bari-tenor, Caucasian – 20’s) British Dialect (RP) – John’s sharp-witted and loyal friend who attended boarding school with him. He now works for Captain Newton on the slave ship, Greyhound.
PRINCESS PEYAI: (Alto, African-American – 30’s to 40’s) African Dialect – The stunning, charismatic African princess of the Sherbro tribe. Based on an actual person, she is a powerful slave trader who, through an alliance with the French, sells her own people into bondage. Peyai is ambitous, seductive, and ruthless.
ENSEMBLE
MR. QUIGLEY: (Baritone, Caucasian – 25 to 35) British Dialect – A founding member of the abolitionist movement in Chatham, Mr. Quigley is intelligent, skeptical and secretive both by nature and necessity.
MR. EINHORN: (Bari-tenor, Caucasian – 40’s) German Jewish Dialect – Patient, far-sighted, and prudent, he is a calming influence within the underground abolitionist movement.
MR. WHITLEY: (Tenor, Caucasian – 40’s) British Dialect (RP) – Whitley is Mary’s vocal tutor and conductor of both the church choir and town orchestra. He is portly, nervous and eager to have his protégé rise in the world of music.
MONSIEUR CLOW: (Baritone, Caucasian – 30’s) French Dialect – Advisor and ally of Princess Peyai. Clow is nationalistic and pragmatic. He manages the Princess through flattery and motivates her with promises of wealth.
CAPTAIN BILLINGSLEY: (Bari-tenor, Caucasian – 40+) Refined British Dialect – Royal Navy Captain of HMS Harwich. An acquaintance of Major Gray. ruthless and conniving, he did not get where he is by making friends.
FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES: (Caucasian – 40’s) British Dialect (RP) – Heir to the throne of Great Britain, Frederick is an aberration in the royal family because he is reform-minded and seeks a Britain less beholding to the landed and merchant classes. Intelligent and insightful, his wit can turn acerbic if he is provoked.
DEMBO (MR. TYLER): (Baritone, African/African-American – 25 to 35) African Dialect – An emancipated African slave he is a secret firebrand for the liberation of his people. Imposing and single minded, he is the most radical of the abolitionists.
MRS. CATLETT: (Caucasian, 40’s) British Dialect (RP) – Mary’s controlling mother. Stolid and traditional, she seeks to preserve the status quo and keep Mary within society’s expectations.
SOPHIE: (Caucasian, 20’s) British Dialect (RP) – Mary’s slightly ditzy and fast-talking, eager friend. Enamored with John. Comedienne.
YEMA: (African/African-American, 20’s) African Dialect – Nanna’s daughter, now a domestic slave to Princess Peyai in Africa. She is compassionate, but deeply wounded by the sale of her mother.
CARLOTTA NEWTON: (Caucasian, olive skin) Italian dialect – Second wife to Captain Newton. John perceives her as a coarse opportunist, on the make and using his father to rise into a higher social standing.
ONE-ACT VERSION: If you choose the one-act version, we have separate Professional Show Tracks that were built exclusively for that version of the show, in addition to a Piano-Vocal Performance Book you could use. We also have optional one-act learning aid audios for your performers, so they can practice their individual parts at home. All one-act materials are digitally delivered.
If you want to perform the one-act version with a full orchestra, you can also rent the printed national tour orchestrations. We will provide a special document with the cuts to make so you can adapt the music to the one-act version.
NATIONAL TOUR VERSION: The National Tour offers 13-piece printed orchestrations for rental as well as a piano-vocal rehearsal book.
OPTIONAL FOR NATIONAL TOUR: Want to sound like our cast album? Save yourself time and rent the optional synthesizer programming for your keyboards! Thanks to a special partnership with KeyboardTek, you can use the original exclusive sounds, programmed by our Broadway programmers.
NATIONAL TOUR ORCHESTRA BREAKDOWN
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3/Conductor
Percussion (Ocean Drum, Chains, Tam Tam, Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Timpani, Snare Drum, Mark Tree, Djembe, Conga, Triangle, Wind Chimes, Glockenspiel, Waterphone, Field Drum, Seed Pod Rattle)
Horn
Trumpet
Trombone (Bass Trombone, Tenor Trombone)
Reed 1* (Bamboo Flute in Low F, Bamboo Flute in G, Bansuri in Ab, Bansuri in High D, Bansuri in Db, Bansuri in Low F, Bansuri in G, Flute, High Tin Whistle in D, Irish Flute in Eb, Irish Whistle in D, Pan Flute, Pan Flute in Low Gb, Pennywhistle in D, Piccolo) *All ethnic flute parts are doubled in the keyboards
Reed 2 (Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, English Horn, Flute, Oboe)
Violin
Violin/Viola
Cello
Bass
Additional materials available to help you immerse your audience, cast, and patrons into the history, story, and world of the show.
You can save yourself hours of time if you get our optional Study Guide & Dramaturgy Package, which includes…
1. Secular Study Guide
2. Christian Study Guide
3. Dramaturgy & Research Packet
The two study guides were professionally created, and cover topics from the making of the show, the creative team, the background of the story, the characters, the real-life history of John Newton, the history of slavery, the abolitionist movement, modern day slavery, additional reading resources, and more. They are designed for parents, educators, and anyone who wants to go deeper into the story.
The dramaturgy & research packet includes history and research from the 10+ year plus production history of the show. Used for inspiration, historical accuracy, and design, these are resources by the original creative team and directors. This packet includes 184 research photos used for the Broadway production as well and historical details about the time period, people, slavery, locations, and more.
Save time and maximize your marketing efforts by licensing our professionally designed official Broadway logo for use on your posters, programs, social media, website, and other advertising.
This optional digital logo package will include the AMAZING GRACE logo for download in high-resolution .png and .jpg formats, as well as permission to use it in your marketing for your licensed production.
In all programs and advertising material, you agree to use the following credits. More details will be provided in your licensing agreement.
