Arena Stage to Host 6th Annual Military Thanksgiving Dinner and CAROUSEL Performance

Every year hundreds of D.C.-area military families must spend the Thanksgiving holiday away from loved ones. In gratitude for their service, Arena Stage is inviting wounded warriors, service men and women and their families to a complimentary dinner and performance of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel at the Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth St., SW) on Friday, November 25. Since the first Military Thanksgiving in 2011, Arena Stage has served more than 1,000 military members and their families with the annual event.

The evening will include remarks from Rear Admiral Charles W. Rock, newly appointed as the 90th commandant, Naval District Washington.

"We are excited to welcome Rear Admiral Charles W. Rock to the neighborhood and delighted he is with us," shares Executive Director Edgar Dobie. "This event is one of the most special that Arena Stage can host because it allows us to show how much we value our military neighbors as well as gives us the opportunity to connect with them on a personal level. We so enjoy sharing a holiday with them and hope we can continue a robust partnership for years to come."

The evening will begin with a 5:30 p.m. cocktail reception featuring a performance by military musicians and the presentation of the colors. A seated, three-course dinner will be prepared and served by Ridgewells Catering at 6:00 p.m., and guests will enjoy a performance of Carousel at 8:00 p.m.

Arena Stage is working primarily through the USO-Metro to distribute the tickets irrespective of rank. Additional tickets are distributed through the Washington, D.C.-Virginia Medical Center Caregiver Support Program and the Southeast Veterans Service Center. It is anticipated that about 200 service men and women and their families will experience this special event.

Military Thanksgiving is generously sponsored by LockheEd Martin. Additional support is provided by Northrop Grumman, Discovery Communications, David Bruce Smith in honor of Max Smith, Clark Construction, John and Linda Derrick, Rick and Carol Froehlich, USAA Real Estate, GEICO and Enterprise Holdings.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Corporate Relations Manager Char Manlove-Laws at cmanlove-laws@arenastage.org or 202-600-4030 or visit arenastage.org/donate/special-events/military-thanksgiving1617/.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, LockheEd Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 98,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2015 were $46.1 billion.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays, and impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its seventh decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. For more, visit arenastage.org.

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