'Big River' deals with a big language issue

Huckleberry Finn and runaway slave Jim set out to float down the ol' Mississippi River as the Grand Theatre opens its production of the Tony award-winning "Big River," a musical adaptation of the Mark Twain classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

The musical, by Roger Miller, who is responsible for the classic country hits "King of the Road" and "Dang Me," is filled with bluegrass and folk tunes like "Waitin' for the Light to Shine," "Worlds Apart" and "The Boys."

But anytime Huck Finn shows up, regardless of its status as an American classic, controversy follows.

Over the years, many schools have struggled with its content, and parents have tried to get the book removed from the curriculum.

At issue: language.

"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" uses the N-word more than 200 times, mostly said by Huck when referring to his slave friend, Jim.

"Big River" has kept Twain's language, using the word 17 times, and the Grand Theatre has chosen to do the same.

"The intention in keeping the language in there, Twain wrote it for a reason. And as difficult as it is, it shows where we are, and where we've come from," said Richard Scott, artistic director at the Grand.

To address the language issue, the Grand will have a brief announcement by a prominent member of the black community addressing the language prior to every show. It will also host a post-show discussion after the matinee on May 17.

"We wanted to make sure we brought that to life. It affects members of our community: our friends, our neighbors. We wanted to give it a little more vitality," Scott said.

"It was very intentional by Twain to use those racist words and what they meant. Because of contemporary society and the pain that that language can create, we thought it was important to address it and encourage people to talk about it."

Still, Huck Finn is a great adventure that, at its heart, is a story about friendship — a friendship against all odds.

"Big River" opens Friday and runs through May 19 at the Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State. Shows dates vary, show times are 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees available. Tickets: $5-$24 (801-957-3322 or www.the-grand.org).

Here are the rest of this week's offerings: