‘A musical death-row revue’

Nellie McKay plays doomed convict Barbara Graham

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Writing and performing a musical-cabaret show about anexecuted woman isn’t something a typical 29-year-old pop star wouldembark on. But Nellie McKay isn’t a run-of-the-mill vocalist.

In 2006 the Manhattan-based jazz-pop singer andmulti-instrumentalist ditched Columbia Records, due to artisticdifferences: She loudly supports People for the Ethical Treatment ofAnimals, gay rights, and feminism. She even wrote a song for death-rowinmate Troy Davis before his September execution. 

So it was no surprise when McKay announced her newproject “I Want to Live!” The show tells the true story of a femaledeath row inmate through songs, narrative and some sound effects.

“It’s a musical death-row revue,” McKay said, in a phoneinterview. “It’s based on the story of Barbara Graham. She was thethird woman executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin in 1955. We tryto include the many facets of her life. Her death was a part of herlife, but she was a real person.”

Backed by a four-piece band, McKay plays a mixture oforiginal songs and cover tunes, even throwing in John Lennon’s “I’m SoTired,” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.”

Graham was a struggling prostitute and petty criminaluntil the 30-year-old was convicted of murder and thrust into ahigh-profile 1953 case. Along with Graham, two male accomplices werealso convicted in Los Angeles for the murder and robbery of MabelMonohan, a 64-year-old widow. 

This same story, under the same title, was also told in a1958 film starring Susan Hayward as Graham; Hayward won an AcademyAward as best actress for her performance. The film shows Graham beingled to the gas chamber, even taking her last breaths while strapped toa chair. 

While this story has been told before (it was also madeinto a 1983 made-for-TV flick), McKay said her live show digs deeperinto Graham’s troubled life. 

“Barbara was from the wrong side of the tracks,” McKayexplained. “She was one of those people who kind of lived outside ofsociety and had a lot of hardship in her life — it made it easy todemonize her.” 

McKay said she strongly feels Graham could have beenwrongly convicted due to what she feels was a “lack of concrete proofand evidence.”  

“There’s a tremendous amount of doubt to this day,” McKaysaid. “It certainly didn’t warrant the death penalty, because ofreasonable doubt. 

“This happens to a lot of people on death row andprison,” she added. “She really was wronged by the system. It becomeseasy to slot them into that system because they’ve always been on theoutside. It’s wonderful to be able to have a chance to tell her story.When you show the details of somebody’s life, they stop being astatistic or caricature.”

McKay’s musical may have serious subject matter, but shemade it clear that her show isn’t doom and gloom — especially incomparison to other true stories, like “Monster,” the criticallyacclaimed 2003 crime drama that told the story of Aileen Wuornos, whodied in a prison death chamber in 2002.

“This show is nowhere as depressing as ‘Monster’ — thatmovie was so depressing,” McKay said. “We aim to entertain. We try totell her story, and like many stories, there are ups and downs.”  

McKay has released five studio albums since 2004. Herdebut album, “Get Away From Me” (a play on Norah Jones’ jazzy-pop album“Come Away With Me”), was well received by critics. It showcased herability to write witty yet edgy lyrics while exploring a plethora ofmodern and classic genres of music, even some hip hop. 

With “I Want to Live!” in full swing, McKay said she hopes her next record will be a soundtrack for the musical.

“Right now, we’re busy doing the show, but I’d like tomake a record of this. I think it’d be nice to have some radio play,so, I’ve got my fingers crossed,” she said. “I think when people seethe show they’ll want to listen to it again.”

Nellie McKay:

’I Want to Live!’

Saturday, Nov. 19

Wharton Center

Pasant Theatre

$25; MSU students $15 with valid ID

(800) WHARTON

www.whartoncenter.com

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