NATCHEZ — Two Natchezians are putting fresh faces on a very old character in the Historic Natchez Tableaux this year.

Tremaine Ford and Mario Radford joined the cast of Tableaux for the first time, sharing the role of Ol’ Man River in the 82-year Spring Pilgrimage tradition.

The song “Ol’ Man River,” first heard in the 1927 “Show Boat” musical, contrasts the hardships of African-Americans with the unending and seemingly uncaring flow of the Mississippi River.

In Tableaux, “Ol’ Man River” is sang during the Show Boat scene and is introduced with references to the songs black workers sang and their origins in blues.

“It’s a very melancholy and somber song,” Radford said.

It’s an important song, too, and an essential part of telling the story of Natchez’s history through Tableaux, Radford said.

“You can’t celebrate now if you don’t know the past and where we’ve come from,” Radford said. “People kind of shy away from that sometimes, but those songs were birthed out of trials and we’re telling a story.”

With lyrics like, “I get weary and so sick of tryin’,

I’m tired of livin’, and afraid of dyin’,” Radford said he believes the song sums up the mentality of African-Americans during the time of slavery.

Radford and Ford said they are honored to tell of some of the contributions of African-Americans through “Ol’ Man River” in Tableaux.

“I’m just glad to be a part of it,” Ford said. “I’ve never seen this side of Pilgrimage or Tableaux before.”

Radford and Ford have been singing for years and have performed in many other musical endeavors.

Radford, a Kentucky native, is a graduate of Kentucky State University and the founder of the Heartsong Company, a multi-faceted entertainment organization. He serves on the board of the Natchez Little Theatre and was the musical director for NLT’s production of “Annie” and had roles in “The Color Purple” and “The Cherry Orchard.”

Radford’s daughter Natori Marshall also dances ballet in Tableaux.

Ford graduated from Natchez High School in 2008 and Tougaloo College in 2013 with a degree in chemistry. He works as a lab technician at Elevance.

At Tougaloo, Ford was the student director of the concert choir and was selected in 2010 to be in the “105 Voices of History” choir and performed at the Kennedy Center.

Historic Natchez Tableaux will continue throughout the Spring Pilgrimage season with shows at 8 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday through April 5 in the Natchez City Auditorium.

Tickets to the performances are $15 per person, with children admitted for $7.

Advance tickets and reservations for the performance are available at Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, but can also be purchased at the door.

For more information, call 1-800-647-6742. To purchase tickets online, visit nptshop.com.