I’m very happy to be able to post this neat little demo song from the musical “Paul Jennings and The Burning of the White House,” which I’m currently writing with playwright and composer Norman L. Berman.

In this musical, we follow the story of Paul Jennings, a slave to President and Dolley Madison, and his journey of survival and self-discovery during the British burning of Washington, DC in August 1814.

The recent demo song – “Give ‘Em a Kick” – is sung by the 15-year-old Paul Jennings early in Act One. Young Paul is smart, opinionated, saucy, and big with dreams, despite his lowly status in American society. When he feels the rest of the world doesn’t quite accord him the respect he deserves, Paul lets loose with this song, to the annoyance of the other White House servants.

(Photograph of the older Paul Jennings)

Soloist: Olly Sholotan
Ensemble: David Lee, Tonoccus McClain, Fredericka Meek, and Maiya Sykes

You can listen to the song below.