Casting & Creatives Announced for World-Premiere Musical GRACE

Ford's Theatre Society today announced full casting and the design team for the world-premiere musical Grace, with Music and Lyrics by Nolan Williams, Jr.; Book by Nolan Williams, Jr., and Nikkole Salter; and Directed and Choreographed by Robert Barry Fleming.

The production features David Hughey, Arica Jackson, Raquel Jennings, Rayshun Lamarr, Jarran Muse, Solomon Parker, Nova Y. Payton, Virginia Woodruff, with understudies LaDonna Burns, Jay Frisby, Duawne Starling and Kai Brittani White.

Packed with an eclectic mix of styles including Jazz, R&B, rousing up-tempos and raise-the-roof ballads, Grace is a new musical examining the little-told history of African-American culinary tradition and the challenges faced by Black-owned businesses. Creator Nolan Williams, Jr., drew inspiration for Grace after conducting extensive research on Black culinary history, including the pioneers chronicled in W.E.B. DuBois' seminal work The Philadelphia Negro.

"The rich imagery of food born of our hardship and turned into culinary genius by pioneering Black chefs and caterers such as Bogle, Augustin, Prosser, Dorsey, Jones and Minton spoke to me. I heard these giants' voices and was inspired to imbue their legacies into Grace," Williams said.

The musical captures a day in the life of the Mintons, a fictional Philadelphia family who gather to mourn the loss of their matriarch and deal with the future of their family restaurant in a changing neighborhood. Heartfelt and hopeful, timely and timeless, Grace is the new American musical where, although family comes first, everyone has a seat at the table.

Williams continued, "Grace is ultimately a story about culture. It raises questions about how we preserve and honor culture and contemplates the myriad of ways in which culture is lost, disregarded or misrepresented. Now, more than ever, this is an important conversation for us to engage in."

Performances of Grace are March 18 to May 14, 2022. A media performance is scheduled for March 30, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale and range from $22 to $81. Discounts are available for groups, members, senior citizens, military personnel and those younger than age 35. The production is recommended for ages 10 and older.

Grace is produced by special arrangement with Dale A. Mott and his company, Edgewood (co-produced for Broadway Lifespan of a Fact, Thoughts of a Colored Man and A Strange Loop), and NEWorks Productions.

"Nolan has crafted a universal story about family dynamics, expectations and legacy," said Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault. "Like all of us, the musical's characters are carving their unique paths in the world and adapting to external circumstances as best they can, by grace. We are thrilled to restart our 2021-2022 season with this exciting new work by one of D.C.'s own, and with a company of such tremendous vocal talent."

Updated COVID-19 Health and Safety

Regardless of age, all patrons with tickets to in-person performances are required to show a government-issued photo ID and proof of full vaccination status (physical copy or digital photograph of vaccination card) upon arrival to their performance for admittance. Ford's Theatre will not accept negative COVID-19 rapid or PCR tests for unvaccinated individuals. All performance patrons must be fully vaccinated. Face coverings are also required for all.

Children ages 5 and older must be fully vaccinated and show proof of a vaccination card. "Fully vaccinated" means 14 days since the final vaccine dose in the regimen. Acceptable forms of government-issued photo IDs include driver's licenses and passports. Patrons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult that meets the above requirements. Performance ticket holders who do not comply will not be admitted.

Ford's Theatre COVID-19 guidance is developed in collaboration with the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates (GW MFA). As one of the largest physician groups in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, GW MFA is recognized for excellence in clinical care, research and training of future care providers. The advice and expertise of the medical staff at the GW MFA, which is based on data and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has helped Ford's Theatre Society strengthen its safety procedures to better serve and protect patrons, artists and staff as productions and daytime visits resume. For more information about Ford's Theatre health and safety protocols, visit www.fords.org/performance-safety.

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