Ford’s Theatre Announces its 2013-2014 Season

Ford’s Theatre Announces 2013-2014 Season
The Laramie Project, A Christmas Carol, Violet, and
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Ford’s Theatre announces its 2013-14 season, which includes:

The Laramie Project 
September 27-October 27, 2013 
by Moisés Kaufman and Members of the Tectonic Theatre Project
Part of The Lincoln Legacy Project

The Laramie Project presents a deeply complex portrait of a community’s response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man living in Laramie, Wyoming. In a series of poignant reflections, the residents of Laramie react to the hate crime and surrounding media storm with anger, bewilderment and sorrow. The play portrays the seismic and deeply personal impact Matthew’s death had on this small town while also demonstrating the power of the human spirit to triumph over bigotry and violence. Fifteen years later, Matthew Shepard’s story still reverberates, urging us on with its clarion call to confront the destructive power of bullying and hate, in all forms. The Laramie Project is the third offering in the multi-year Lincoln Legacy Project—an effort to generate dialogue around issues of tolerance, equality and acceptance. Experience the story that TIME Magazine calls “a pioneering and powerful stage event.”
Group/Member Pre-Sale: May 20; Public Sale: May 28

A Christmas Carol
November 21, 2013-January 1, 2014
by Charles Dickens; adapted by Michael Wilson
Directed by Michael Baron

Ford’s Theatre has delighted Washington audiences with A Christmas Carol for more than 30 seasons. 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.”
Group/Member Pre-Sale: August 5; Public Sale: August 19

Violet
January 24-February 23, 2014
music by Jeanine Tesori; book and lyrics by Brian Crawley; based on The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts; music direction by Jay Crowder
Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun

In the early 1960s, a young woman disfigured by a childhood accident travels across the South in search of a televangelist’s healing miracle. On her journey, Violet meets two young soldiers who help her learn about courage, beauty and her own self-worth. Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights era, Violet’s odyssey also opens her eyes to the realities of racism and segregation. With a dynamic score of bluegrass, gospel, country and rock, Violet features a distinctly American musical voice. Tony-nominated director Jeff Calhoun (Broadway’s Newsies) returns to Ford’s Theatre to direct this touching story of love, hope and healing. The New York Post called Violet “a truly charming and meaningful new American musical.”
Group/Member Pre-Sale: August 5; Public Sale: August 19

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
March 14-May 17, 2014
music and lyrics by William Finn; book by Rachel Sheinkin; conceived by Rebecca Feldman; additional material by Jay Reiss; music direction by Christopher Youstra; choreographed by Michael Bobbitt
Directed by Peter Flynn

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six awkward adolescents through their daunting and hilarious championship quest. As they navigate the tournament’s pressures, the eccentric coterie finds a new sense of belonging. Along the way, they learn that there is more to life than winning a trophy. This charming coming-of-age tale also invites four volunteers from the audience to participate in each performance, ensuring new and unexpected comedy every night. Peter Flynn (1776) returns to direct this heartwarmingly quirky Tony Award-winning musical comedy. The Wall Street Journal raved “Putnam County is that rarity of rarities, a super smart-show that is also a bona fide crowd-pleaser.”
Group/Member Pre-Sale: August 5; Public Sale: August 19

Ford’s Theatre Society Annual Gala, June 5, 2011.

Ford’s Theatre website.