Ford's Theatre Society 2012-13 Season to Include OUR TOWN, FLY and More

Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault announced the Theatre's 2012-2013 season, a lineup that includes a dynamic story of the Tuskegee Airmen as the second-year offering of The Lincoln Legacy Project; the return of Michael Baron's celebrated production of A Christmas Carol; a 75th-anniversay production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town; and an American musical classic co-produced with Arlington's Signature Theatre. Tickets go on sale to members and groups on August 6; the public can purchase tickets beginning August 20. Ford's also presents the History on Foot walking tour Investigation: Detective McDevitt from September to October 2012 and March through August 2013. The Society also plans to continue its popular daytime one-act production One Destiny by Richard Hellesen in the spring of 2013.

A complete programming schedule for this year's Lincoln Legacy Project, including events of our Legacy Project partners, will be announced in September 2012.

 

FORD'S THEATRE 2012-2013 SEASON

 

Fly

By 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, ruralIowa 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

75^th Anniversary Production

By Thornton Wilder

Directed by Stephen Rayne

January 18-February 17, 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) directs a multi-ethnic cast in celebration of the play's 75th-anniversary year.

 

Hello, Dolly!

Book by Michael Stewart

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Directed by Eric Schaffer

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. Based on Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, 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 Schaffer (Meet John Doe) returns to direct this enduring musical favorite in a co-production with Virginia's Signature Theatre.

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