Theatre nerds know his name: Joe DiPietro. The Tony Award winning maven, who has had several productions at La Jolla Playhouse before moving to Broadway, has another hit on his hands with 3 Summers of Lincoln. Late to the party and thought I missed the chance to review, but since the show is now extended through April 6, it has all of the earmarking of a success that will travel to New York. Everyone behind this show is at the top of their game.

DiPietro, with his Tonys from Memphis the musical to Tony winning director Christopher Ashley to its cast including Carmen Cusack, who was so memorable in the musical Bright Star. Here, they once again get to shine. DiPietro’s book is very comprehensive in reviewing and denoting Lincoln’s interactions with Frederick Douglass, a pioneer in fighting for African American rights who, at some point, worked with Lincoln, which was really the birth of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The lyrics by DiPietro, with Daniel J. Watts, are on point and truly help the plot. They also tell us about history and have great mood-creating melodies, thanks to the music of Crystal Monee Hall. The true story itself is fascinating and provides a good history lesson entertainingly and inclusively. The show, while has limited sets, they are well used thanks to great lighting which creates the mood. But it’s that stellar cast that pays honor to DiPietro’s and Watt’s prose. Ivan Hernandez as Lincoln is amazing. While I’ve seen him on Broadway is less showy roles, this time around I was fixated on his every word and he brought heart and humanity to the role.

Cusack as Mary Todd Lincoln, is the voice of reason we all could use in these trying times and while I’ve never heard the real voice of Mrs. Lincoln, the accent Cusack brings to the role is one of sympathy, power and authority all rolled into one. I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without knowing of Quentin Earl Darrington.

He commands the stage every time he’s on it and his voice surrounds us and keeps us captive under his spell as he feels every lyric to the core of his being. The cast uniformly is good but I must also single out Evan Ruggiero, who captures our attention from the first song with his magnificent tap dancing and wows us every chance he’s around. Don’t know if there’s any more extensions to come to the show, so get tickets now at venture to the San Diego area: