Ford's Theatre 2009-2010 Season

The 2008-2009 season at Ford's Theatre ended recently, when "The Civil War" finished its long run (enjoying that time off Amanda?). There will not be a presidential gala this summer as Ford's was visited by President Obama in February to celebrate the grand reopening of the theater and to commemorate the birth of Abraham Lincoln. So the summer months will see the halls of the theater give way to sweaty tourists. Except for a few days later this month, when the National Park Service will do some additional renovations.

My ushering days will not return until late September, when the 2009-2010 season opens. Here's the lineup. If anyone wants in on the ushering gig, let me know - it's a great time!

• "Black Pearl Sings!" - September 25-October 18 - Susannah, a song collector for the Library of Congress, travels the country seeking little-known melodies. When she encounters Pearl in a Texas prison, she discovers dozens of musical treasures rooted in the African tradition. Pearl must decide whether to give away her ancestors’ songs for a chance at her own freedom. Music unites strangers in a powerful story that illuminates America’s racial divisions and the attempts of two women to bridge them.
• "A Christmas Carol" - November 23, 2009-January 3, 2010 - this is a great adaptation of the Dickens classic. You should really see it!
• "The Rivalry" - January 22-February 14 - Over the course of seven debates, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas tackled the hot topics of their day: state’s rights, slavery and the intent of the Constitution. The Rivalry captures the fiery rhetoric and wry humor of those debates, while adding the insights of Douglas’s wife, Adele. As Lincoln and Douglas race for the chance to be U.S. Senator, Adele reexamines her own concepts of freedom.
  
• Little Shop of Horrors - March 12-May 23 - One of the most popular musicals of all time, Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of the well-meaning flower shop employee Seymour Krelborn and his wisecracking carnivorous plant, Audrey II. Seymour delights in the attention his leafy friend attracts, but when Audrey II develops a craving for human flesh, the situation spins out of control.

See you at the stage door!