MISTER LINCOLN, SISTER ACT & More Set for Ford's Theatre Society 2024-2025 Season

The Ford's Theatre 2024-2025 season will feature actor Scott Bakula (TV/Film: Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise, NCIS: New Orleans; Ford's: Shenandoah) as President Abraham Lincoln in Herbert Mitgang's Mister Lincoln. The season lineup includes the beloved music-filled holiday production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, adapted by Michael Wilson, with D.C. stalwart actor Craig Wallace returning as Ebenezer Scrooge; and the riotous musical comedy based on the hit film, Sister Act, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and featuring Awa Sal Secka (Ford's: The Wiz, Into the Woods, A Christmas Carol) as Deloris Van Cartier.

Other season highlights include The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look. Heralded in 2024 by DC Theater Arts as “a must-attend event in the D.C. theater scene,” the 2025 edition of A First Look will feature new plays by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics) and playwright, actor and singer Gloria Reuben (TV/Film: ER, Lincoln, Mr. Robot). In celebration of WorldPride in May 2025, Ford's will present a stage reading of Matthew López's milestone two-part play The Inheritance, inspired by E. M. Forster's masterpiece Howards End.

Performances of the Society's actor-led History on Foot walking tours of downtown Washington, D.C. and daytime one-act play performances of One Destiny will continue in the spring of 2025.

“The 2024-2025 season celebrates Ford's Theatre's roots as a historic theatre by showcasing President Abraham Lincoln's life and values culled from his own personal story, and uplifting stories teeming with life,” said Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault. “We continue to tell spirited American stories that will capture hearts, inspire empathy and spark reflections on our shared past and future.”

The Ford's Theatre 2024-2025 season is generously sponsored by Chevron and Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Free Preview and Discounts

Ford's Theatre continues its commitment to offer free and discounted performance tickets to the company's mainstage productions during the 2024-2025 season. All tickets to the first preview performances of Mister Lincoln and Sister Act will be offered free of charge via a TodayTix ticket lottery, and at least 100 free tickets will be made available for a preview performance of A Christmas Carol. The Free Preview initiative seeks to remove price barriers and build audiences in a more inclusive way, by inviting those who live and work in the Washington community who might not otherwise consider participation in the arts. Since the program launched in 2016, more than 6,500 tickets have been provided to Washington, D.C. audiences.

Discounts are available for groups, senior citizens, military personnel and young professionals between the ages of 21-40 (Generation Abe, our community for young professionals, history enthusiasts and theatre lovers). Learn more about discounts and Free Previews here. To bring a group, contact Group Sales at groups@fords.org.

Student Matinees and Teacher Preview Workshops

Ford's Theatre is committed to serving local D.C. students and teachers and offers weekday student matinees and tailored lessons to complement educator curriculum. A limited number of free tickets to select weekday matinee performances are available to D.C. public and public charter schools, Title I schools and schools that have 40 percent or more students eligible for Free and Reduced Meals. Schools located within the Capital Beltway may also qualify for free bus transportation. Ford's Theatre offers a free workshop and free tickets to a preview performance of each of the company's mainstage productions to Washington-area teachers before they bring their students. Since the program launched in 2009, more than 13,500 tickets have been provided to local students. Learn more on our student matinees webpage.

Accessibility

At Ford's Theatre, we are committed to ensuring visitors of all abilities can experience the performances, exhibits, history and programs our site has to offer. We offer Sensory-Friendly, audio-described, ASL-interpreted and GalaPro closed captioned performances. Accessible seating and chair rental, assisted listening devices, large print programs and Braille programs are available upon request. Find all performance dates and learn more about our accessibility offerings.

Since 2018, Ford's Theatre has offered relaxed Sensory-Friendly performances, providing theatrical experiences for people with sensory sensitivities. Sensory-Friendly performances are set for A Christmas Carol on Sunday, November 24, 2024, and for Sister Act on Saturday, April 26, 2025. These performances are designed for patrons with sensory sensitivities, including individuals with autism or other social, learning or cognitive disabilities.

The Ford's Theatre 2024-2025 Season

Tiered Member On-Sale:
July 22-24, 2024: Mister Lincoln
August 19-25, 2024: A Christmas Carol and Sister Act

Public On-Sale:
July 25, 2024: Mister Lincoln
August 26, 2024: A Christmas Carol and Sister Act

Mister Lincoln

By Herbert Mitgang
Directed by José Carrasquillo
Featuring Scott Bakula as President Abraham Lincoln
September 20 – October 13, 2024

Abraham Lincoln: Advocate and Liberator.

In this witty and revelatory one-man show starring Scott Bakula as President Abraham Lincoln, “Mister Lincoln” shares stories of himself during some of our country's most important historical events. From his own personal perspective, first as a prairie lawyer and anti-slavery advocate in Illinois, to later in Washington as president of the United States, when he signs the Emancipation Proclamation and becomes the liberator, this insightful play leans on Lincoln's own brilliant language to reveal surprising aspects of the life of one of our nation's greatest presidents.

A Christmas Carol

Based on the book by Charles Dickens
Adapted by Michael Wilson
Directed by Michael Baron
Featuring Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge
November 21 – December 31, 2024

A Must-See Holiday Tradition!

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, with familiar characters, ghosts and a children's ensemble in the spirit of the holidays. Acclaimed actor Craig Wallace returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge in the Ford's annual tradition.

The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look

Featuring New Works by Nilo Cruz and Gloria Reuben, Members of the Second Cohort of The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions
Free Ticketed Event; Registration Dates and Titles to Be Announced
January 2025

Witness the Power of The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions.

In its third year, The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look will continue to give D.C. audiences unparalleled access to the development of new plays by our second cohort of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) playwrights exploring stories and characters that have changed American history. The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions seek to amplify lesser-known stories and heroes responsible for changing the course of civil rights, social justice and equality in America. The 2025 edition of A First Look will workshop two new commissions by Nilo Cruz and Gloria Reuben. The workshops culminate in free public readings and post-reading discussions with the creative teams.

Nilo Cruz is a Cuban American playwright, director, lyricist, scriptwriter and teacher known for weaving magic realism into his body of work. Cruz gained international prominence when Anna in the Tropics won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, for which he also received a Tony Award nomination.

Gloria Reuben is an accomplished Canadian American actress, singer and playwright. She played Jeanie Boulet in ER (two Emmy noms., Golden Globe nom.), Elizabeth Keckly in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Krista Gordon in Mr. Robot.

The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions initiative is led by Senior Artistic Advisor Sheldon Epps, Director of Artistic Programming José Carrasquillo and The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions Advisor Sydné Mahone. Learn more about the initiative.

The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions are generously supported by Lead Sponsor: Boeing.

Sister Act

Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Materials by Douglas Carter Beane
Music Direction by William Yanesh
Directed and Choreographed by Jeff Calhoun
March 14 – May 17, 2025

An Exuberant Musical Comedy Inspired by the Hit Film!

Sister Act is a riotous musical comedy smash based on the hit film that has audiences jumping to their feet! To escape the mob, a nightclub singer hides in a convent. While there, she helps her new sisters discover their powerful voices while she finds her own. This uplifting, Tony-nominated musical features original music by Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors). It is directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Broadway: Newsies, Ford's: Violet, The Civil War, Freedom's Song, Shenandoah). Awa Sal Secka as Deloris Van Cartier leads a powerhouse cast of D.C. favorite actors.

Stage Reading: The Inheritance

By Matthew López
Inspired by E. M. Forster's Howards End
Directed by José Carrasquillo
May 2025

A Sweeping Two-Part American Epic.

To celebrate our nation's capital hosting of WorldPride 2025, Ford's Theatre presents a stage reading of Matthew López's Tony-winning, two-part milestone play, The Inheritance, inspired by E. M. Forster's masterpiece Howards End. Hailed as “the most important American play of the century” (The Telegraph) and “a head-spinning, heart-rending experience…an emotional powerhouse” (Rolling Stone), this theatrically exhilarating epic explores the lives of three generations of gay men as they chart divergent paths to forge a future for themselves in an ever-changing landscape. This dynamic and momentous piece is an examination of survival, healing, class divide and what it means to call a place home.

One Destiny

By Richard Hellesen
Directed by Mark Ramont
March – May 2025

Learn about Lincoln's assassination from two men who were there. This 35-minute stage play at Ford's Theatre explores the key facts of the assassination while capturing the emotions of that fateful night in 1865, as told through the eyewitness accounts of actor Harry Hawk and Ford's Theatre co-owner Harry Ford, among others. As they reconstruct the sequence of events, they grapple with the question: Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped? One Destiny was honored with The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community in 2011 and celebrated its 1,000th performance in the spring of 2016. Performance times for spring 2025 to be announced. Learn more about One Destiny.

Our One Destiny: On Demand streamed performance, featuring original actors Michael Bunce and Stephen F. Schmidt, continues to be on sale.

History on Foot Walking Tours:
Investigation: Detective McDevitt

By Richard Hellesen
Directed by Mark Ramont
March – October 2025

Join Detective McDevitt as he re-visits and re-examines the sites and clues surrounding the assassination of our nation's 16th president. This outdoor tour lasts approximately two hours and makes at least eight stops between Ford's Theatre and the White House. The walking distance is 1.6 miles. Wear comfortable shoes. Dates and times for 2025 to be announced. Learn more about History on Foot.

For more information on Ford's Theatre and the Ford's Theatre Society, please visit www.fords.org.

Photo credit: Maxwell MacKenzie

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