Opening Number Warren

[Opening Spoken Verse (Interview)] (INTERVIEWER) Chief Justice Warren, history still debates your name. Looking back now—how do you explain A Court that stirred the nation’s soul, That bent the arc, that changed the role? (WARREN) (low, measured, rhythmic) I didn’t chase legacy or fame— I listened when the questions came. Not marble halls or power’s call, But human voices—one and all. [A subtle beat drops. Fingers snap. Bass enters.] --- [Verse 1 — Warren] [WARREN – spoken-sung, steady rhythm] They asked about the Court's decree, But I remember every plea. A child at school, a man alone, A woman guarding her own home. Each case a name, each name a face, Each moment time refused to erase. I ruled with law—but heard the cry Of lives that asked the reason why. [Chorus 1 — slowly, solo] [Warren- reflective , emotional] A quiet revolution, case by case, The Constitution stretching, holding space. Not tearing it down, not starting anew— Just making the promise honest and true. --- [Verse 2 — The Voices Emerge (Medley)] [ENSEMBLE – overlapping, rhythmic, clean rhymes] [STUDENT] Kids walked in where hope was thin, A classroom said, “You don’t fit in.” [Williamses] A fight on native land was brought Respect for sovereignty was sought [DOLLREE MAPP] They crossed the door, no cause, no claim, But rights don’t fade because of shame. [WONG SUN] They broke in first, then said they lied— The truth was tossed, the law replied. [BAKER] The votes were buried, lost for days, Unequal power, crooked ways. [REYNOLDS] One person’s voice should weigh the same— No louder shout, no smaller claim. --- Chorus — Ensemble [FULL ENSEMBLE – driving, unified] A quiet revolution, case by case, The Constitution stretching, holding space. Not tearing it down, not starting anew— Just making the promise honest and true. --- Verse 3 — The Accused Speak [GIDEON – blues cadence] No lawyer’s hand, no polished words, Just truth and grit to get it heard. [BRADY] They hid the truth, they held it tight— But justice dies without the light. [GRISWOLD] Behind closed doors, a choice denied, The Court said, “Privacy abides” [KATZ] No walls required, no lock, no gate— Your voice deserves a private fate. [MIRANDA] They pressed and pushed, was made to speak When rights unknown, chances are bleak. --- [Chorus 2 — Expanded] [ENSEMBLE – bigger, sharper] A quiet revolution, case by case, The Constitution stretching, holding space. Not tearing it down, not starting anew— Just making the promise honest and true. [Verse— Youth & Movement] [MARY BETH TINKER] We spoke in silence, black bands worn, Still they tried to make us conform. [TERRY] A look, a hunch, a shadowed stare— Suspicion’s thin, but rights stay fair. [DUNCAN] A jury’s voice, the people’s sound, Justice grows when we’re around. [WADE] A lineup’s risk when one stands lone— Counsel makes the truth be shown. [Bridge — The Clash (Warren vs. Nixon)] [NIXON – clipped, percussive, rapping] With law and order, lines are clear, You’ve gone too far, you coddle fear. Your way of looking at the law Has got to be your biggest flaw [WARREN – crescendo,] Order without justice breaks, Power without mercy takes. You hide your words behind closed doors, But time unseals what power stores. --- [Final Chorus — Full Company] [FULL ENSEMBLE – anthem, gospel lift] A quiet revolution, case by case, The Constitution stretching, holding space. Not tearing it down, not starting anew— Just making the promise honest and true. --- [Closing Spoken Moment] [Music softens. Piano only.] (INTERVIEWER) So, Chief Justice—was the cost too high? The anger, the noise, the battle cry? (WARREN) (smiling, resolute) Ask the ones who brought the cases— Hear their voices, see their faces…