The city of Vanport was hastily built to accommodate workers migrating to Oregon to work in the shipyards during WWII. After the war, many white residents of Vanport relocated to Portland, but discriminatory banking and real estate practices prevented Black people from buying or renting in most parts of the city. So, the population of Vanport became increasingly African-American as time went on. In 1948, a catastrophic flood destroyed the entire city.

Growing up in the Portland area, Shalanda Sims never heard about the lost city of Vanport. As an adult, she learned that her great-grandmother had lived there before the flood. Sims is the executive and artistic director at World Stage Theatre, and she was inspired by the stories she heard from Vanport survivors to create a show that she hopes will keep the city's history alive. “Vanport the Musical” is part of the Vanport Mosaic Festival. Tickets are available via the Northwest Children’s Theater for weekend performances through June 5.