Flyby Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan
directed by Ricardo Khan
September 21-October 21, 2012
Based on the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen, Fly is the powerful story of four African-American military pioneers who proved themselves as officers and pilots during World War II. The play follows these courageous heroes hailing from Chicago, Harlem, rural Iowa and the Caribbean as they train to fly combat aircraft. In spite of the overt racism they encounter, the men form a lasting brotherhood and fly with distinction, paving the way for the desegregation of the American military and the later Civil Rights Movement. The production inventively combines live action, video footage and the inspirational “Tap Griot,” a dancing storyteller who expresses the anger, fear and triumph that the officers cannot.
Fly is the second offering in the multi-year Lincoln Legacy Project—an effort to create dialogue around the issues of tolerance, equality and acceptance. Co-author Ricardo Khan directs the Washington premiere of this patriotic tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. The New York Times raved Fly “is a superior piece of theatrical synergy.”
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
adapted by Michael Wilson
directed by Michael Baron
November 16-December 30, 2012
Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Acclaimed Washington stage actor Edward Gero returns to play Scrooge in the production The Washington Post hailed as “musically high-spirited” and “infectiously jolly.”
Our Town
75th Anniversary Production
by Thornton Wilder
directed by Stephen Rayne
January 25-February 24, 2013
Set in the serene New England town of Grover’s Corners, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama presents a timeless commentary on the transience of human existence. Teenagers George and Emily meet, fall in love, marry—and suffer the slings and arrows of everyday life. Wilder transforms their ordinary story into a poignant and captivating exploration of mortality and the interconnectivity of human beings. Stephen Rayne (The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Sabrina Fair and Parade) returns to direct this quintessential piece of American theater in celebration of the play’s 75th-anniversary year.
Hello, Dolly!
book by Michael Stewart
music and lyrics by Jerry Herman
based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
original production directed and choreographed by Gower Champion
produced for the Broadway stage for David Merrick and Champion-Five Inc.
choreographed by Karma Camp
directed by Eric Schaeffer
March 15-May 18, 2013
In the Tony-winning musical farce Hello, Dolly!, the cantankerous half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder hires matchmaker Dolly Levi to find him a wife. Dolly soon hatches a plan to woo and win Vandergelder’s hand herself, while simultaneously arranging romantic prospects for his niece, his clerks and two of Manhattan’s most eligible shop girls. Jerry Herman’s memorable score and charming lyrics place the irresistibly mischievous Dolly center stage, making the role one of the most celebrated and high-spirited in musical theatre. Eric Schaeffer (Meet John Doe) returns to direct this enduring musical favorite in a co-production with Virginia’s Signature Theatre.
Ford’s Theatre will also continue its performances of One Destiny and its History on Foot walking tours.
Photo by Gary Erskine.
