As New Jersey prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, a new musical aims to bring one of the state’s most significant moments in history to the stage — while shining a light on some of the people whose stories are often left out of traditional retellings.
On June 20, a preview performance of The Crossing was presented at Hopewell Valley Stage. Developed in anticipation of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, the musical focuses on the ten pivotal days between George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and the American victories at Trenton and Princeton that helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War.
While the production follows well-known historical figures such as Washington and Thomas Paine, it also seeks to highlight lesser-known voices, including Jacob Francis, a free Black man from New Jersey who crossed the Delaware with Washington and fought in the Battle of Trenton.
Larry Kidder, author of The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man and an advisor to the production, worked closely with the show’s creators to help bring Francis’ story to the stage.
“So much of what I was researching for him has helped me understand what life was like,” Kidder said.
Francis’ connection to the region extends beyond his military service.
“He was buried in Flemington, so he’s pretty local,” Kidder said.
The creators say including Francis and other historically overlooked figures is central to the show’s mission.
“The Crossing reimagines Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, spotlighting the diverse, often overlooked voices of the Continental Army,” composer John Allen Watts said in materials about the production.
In addition to developing a full-scale musical, the team behind The Crossing has created educational programming designed to bring Revolutionary-era stories into classrooms.
The initiative, known as The Crossing Classroom, includes scripts, music and lesson materials that can be used by teachers and students.
“This is the script that goes into the schools with the music and with different activities to bring the page to the stage in a classroom or to the actual stage in a high school setting,” said Terri Seggio, director of the musical.
Education and community engagement remain a major focus of the project.
“We love putting together educational programs and especially talking to kids,” said Roger Williams, a state historian for the New Jersey chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
The production’s creators are also pursuing recognition of The Crossing as New Jersey’s official state musical, a campaign that has already received support from some local organizations and elected officials.
The June preview took place at Hopewell Valley Stage, which reopened this spring under the management of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council after several years of closure.
While audience members saw only a preview of the final production, Seggio said the team remains focused on sharing stories that continue to resonate nearly 250 years after the events took place.
“All you do is believe in it and believe in the message,” Seggio said.
A full production of The Crossing is planned as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026, with organizers hoping the musical will introduce new audiences to both familiar Revolutionary figures and lesser-known individuals whose contributions helped shape the nation’s history.
If You Go
Missed the Hopewell Valley Stage preview? Additional performances of The Crossing are scheduled in Trenton later this summer:
- July 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. — 60-minute Concert Preview at Passage Theatre, Trenton
- July 3, 2026, at 3 p.m. — 60-minute Concert Preview at Passage Theatre, Trenton
- Aug. 29, 2026, at 2 p.m. — 30-minute Tavern Preview at the William Trent House, Trenton
For tickets and additional information, visit the musical’s website.
