Four Questions for Sean Michael Dargan

"Today’s geopolitical world has been shaped by no single factor more than the First World War."

By Chris Isleib
Director of Public Affairs, United States World War One Centennial Commission

Sean Michael Dargan is a professional singer, songwriter, guitar player, and highland bagpiper, who lives in Madison Wisconsin. He has a deep interest in military history, and even was the piper for a British army reenacting group that portrayed WWI BEF units. Sean contacted us with an incredible story -- He and a group of his professional musician/professional artist/professional historian friends got together, and decided to mark the centennial of WWI, and the war's impact and relevance, in their own way. As a result, they created a remarkable series of multimedia shows that will take place in Madison this fall.They include art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, all culminating in a show entitled THE GREATEST WAR which will take place on Nov 11th. A video teaser for the upcoming series of events & shows can be found here: https://thegreatestwar.org/multimedia/. We asked Sean a few questions about this remarkable event.

WOW! Tell us about what you're doing in Madison?

Sean Michael DarganWe are organizing a program of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day. The series includes music, film, and art. The culmination of these events is a multi-media production titled “The Greatest War: World War One, Wisconsin, and why it still matters.”

It is a live rock 'n' roll history show that combines music (both original songs and period traditionals) with images (photos, film, art), plus live readings of contemporary letters, diaries, articles, and speeches. The historical focus is WWI from Wisconsin's point of view, so we are using as much written and visual material of and by Wisconsinites as possible.

The show is Sunday 11 November 2018 at the historical Barrymore Theatre in Madison. (www.thegreatestwar.org).

Tell us how your group got involved?

Ken Fitzsimmons (Artistic Director), John Wedge (Education & Outreach), and Sean Michael Dargan (Marketing & Music) are all long-time movers and shakers in the Madison music scene, each leading their own successful rock bands. They are also good friends who share a deep love of history, particularly the complicated events of that unfolded after 1914.

Ken actually conceived of such a project over a decade ago, slated to be a silent film with an original, orchestral score to be performed live; Sean was on Ken’s steering committee, and wrote music for the film.

Alas, at that time the project was never performed. John -- born in England, with a Ph.D. in American History, and a grandfather who lived through WWI -- is an obvious catalyst for the project’s triumphant return.

What will people see/hear when they go to your shows?

Equal parts rock opera and documentary, the show uses music, imagery, and words to tell the story of the Armistice and the war that lead up to it.

Using letters, diaries, and articles written by Wisconsinites, it presents a way of connecting the past with our world today. And it draws the audience in with compelling music written and recreated by Wisconsin musicians: Madison Irish rock legends The Kissers; acclaimed Madison singer/songwriter/bagpiper Sean Michael Dargan; Milwaukee’s polka/hip-hop powerhouse November Criminals; and Milwaukee's ukulele provocateur The Viper and his Famous Orchestra.

The music will be accompanied by a live display of photos, film, and artwork from 1914-1918, projected on a giant, 24 x 14 foot, interactive video wall.

What do you want people to take away from their experience at your shows?

Past is prologue. Today’s geopolitical world has been shaped by no single factor more than the First World War.

The Greatest War is a multimedia, exhibition-rich, live music exploration of the modern, living legacy of the conflict and the uneasy truce that ended it. 100 years to the day after the Armistice, the historic Barrymore Theatre will brim with this rock ‘n’ roll history show, expounding upon and exalting that legacy, while searching for meaning in "The War to End All Wars."

We want people to come to the show curious about what it was and why it should still matter; we want them to leave with some answers, a song in their head, and even more curiosity for their own future investigations.