Broadway-Bound 'ACE' Plays Limited D.C. Engagement

A new production of the Broadway-aimed musical adventure ACE will play a limited regional engagement at Washington DC's National Theatre early next year. Directed by eric schaeffer (Putting It Together), ACE features book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, and music by Oberacker.

Performances are set to begin at The National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 and will continue through Sunday, March 30, with a Broadway bow expected shortly thereafter.

"Set in the American heartland in 1952, ACE is the epic story of one young boy's search to come to terms with his past, find his place in the present, and unlock his future," state press notes, "When ten-year-old Danny Lucas receives a toy plane as an unexpected gift from his foster parents, a parallel world of dreamtime adventures begins to unfold.  With an ace fighter pilot as his guide, Danny is transported back in time; flying into the gathering storm over Europe and the aerial dogfights of WWI, and soaring with the daring Tiger squadrons of WWII in the skies above Southeast Asia."

ACE first premiered as part of the 2005 National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals in New York City. Since then, it has played in various incarnations at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (September 2006), the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (October 2006) and most recently at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre (January 2007).

Longtime Resident Director of the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C., Eric Schaefer's previous New York credits include the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, starring Carol Burnett, and the City Center Encores! production of Sweet Adeline. He also directed the first national tour of Big the musical, and more recently made his West End debut with The Witches of Eastwick at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane & Prince of Wales theatres.

Casting for The National Theatre production of ACE is set to begin after Thanksgiving.  Visit www.nationaltheatre.org updates and more details.

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