On this Throwback Thursday, I want to high one of my favorite “music video” creations (courtesy of yours truly) from the opening number of the musical “The Burning of the White House.”

“The Burning of the White House” is by far my longest-nursed creative endeavor, which I have worked on with the great composer (and co-bookwriter) Norman Berman since early 2017.

Briefly, the musical tells the story of Paul Jennings, a house slave to James and Dolley Madison during the War of 1812 (which, contrary to its title, lasted from 1812-14) and specifically young Paul’s coming of age during the British capture and burning of Washington, DC in August of 1814.

Recruiting a wonderful cast, Norman organized a demo recording of the opening song (really, the opening scene – slightly truncated for the actual demo recording, but relatively intact) which takes place at the White House during one of Dolley Madison’s famous soirees – though, not too far away, the British are prowling the American coastline and threatening invasion.

You can check out more about “The Burning of the White House” here on our website!