Readings, Opera Excerpts and More Set for 'NOW HE BELONGS TO THE AGES' at Ford's Theatre Tonight

Ford's Theatre Society hosts Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration, a moving tribute to President Abraham Lincoln on the 150th anniversary of his assassination -- tonight, April 14, 2015, at 9 p.m.

The evening includes readings of Lincoln's words and stories, Civil War-era music, excerpts from Lincoln's favorite operas, and features appearances by operatic soprano Alyson Cambridge, legendary singer songwriter Judy Collins, actor David Selby, political satirist Mark Russell, civil rights leader Julian Bond, historians Harold Holzer and James Swanson columnist Eugene Robinson, the Federal City Brass Band, and others.

Immediately following the performance event at the historic Ford's Theatre, the public is invited to Tenth Street NW, between E and F streets, for an outdoor candlelight vigil in President Lincoln's memory, featuring more than 150 costumed interpreters in Civil War-era attire.

Now He Belongs to the Ages is at capacity within Ford's Theatre. The free event will be live-streamed at www.fords.org and simulcast in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard. The National Portrait Gallery also will show the Spielberg film Lincoln in the Kogod Courtyard from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., before their live-streaming broadcast of Now He Belongs to the Ages.

Now He Belongs to the Ages is part of Ford's 150: Remembering the Lincoln Assassination, events marking 150 years since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Programming includes: the musical Freedom's Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War; a jewel box exhibition at the Center for Education and Leadership, Silent Witnesses: Artifacts of the Lincoln Assassination, that showcases items that Lincoln carried or that were in Ford's Theatre the night of his assassination; The Lincoln Tribute, an around-the-clock event on April 14 and 15 marking Lincoln's assassination and death; an overnight candlelight vigil on Tenth Street NW, incorporating living historians to recreate the street scene and atmosphere from April 14 and 15, 1865; guided and self-led tours of the full Ford's Theatre campus on April 14 and 15; performances of the Society's one-act plays One Destiny and The Road From Appomattox; History on Foot walking tours; free panel discussions featuring historians and scholars; Remembering Lincoln, an online collection of personal reactions and artifacts showcasing the response to Abraham Lincoln's death, including educational resources; and much more.

One of the most visited sites in the nation's capital, Ford's Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford's Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford's Theatre is the premier destination in the nation's capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln's ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression.

The Ford's Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford's as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatregoing public have recognized Ford's for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed Big River to the world premieres of Meet John Doe, The Heavens Are Hung In Black, Liberty Smith and Necessary Sacrifices, Ford's Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. Under the leadership of Wayne R. Reynolds, Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus (Chairman 2007 to 2012), the mission of Ford's Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, which opened in February 2012. Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, Ford's enters a second phase of strategic planning to ensure the organization's place as a national destination for exploring Lincoln's legacy and the American experience through the intersection of history, performance and education.

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

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