Before there was RENT… there was tick, tick… BOOM!, Jonathan Larson’s explosive musical about life, death, and the necessity of art. The semi-autobiographical story follows Jon, a composer struggling to break into New York City’s theater scene. This intimate, three-actor production boasts unforgettable songs including “30/90,” “Johnny Can’t Decide,” and the Sondheim-inspired “Sunday.”
The show will be directed by Emmy® and Tony Award® winner and New York Times bestselling author Neil Patrick Harris.
Don’t miss the electrifying new musical about “the greatest R&B group of all time.” With their signature dance moves and harmonies, The Temptations rose to the top of the charts, and their moving story still resonates five decades later. The show features such iconic hits as “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and many more.
Recommended for ages 13 and up. The show contains minimal adult language and references.
American Ballet Theatre’s quintessential production of Swan Lake returns to pull D.C. audiences back under its spell. Journey to the enchanted lake, complete with soaring choreography, hauntingly beautiful music, and extravagant sets.
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the collection through rich verbal descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.
NEW PRODUCTION
Adapted from Jacques Offenbach’s La Périchole
New Orleans in the 1920s is roaring with decadence, but singers and lovers Songbird and Piquillo are down on hard times. As Mardi Gras arrives, the Mayor disguises himself and lures Songbird to be his mistress with the promise of food and lodging. Now Songbird must choose between financial security and true love. What’s a hungry artist to do?
Jazz meets operetta in this playful new riff on Jacques Offenbach’s La Périchole. Offenbach’s comedic love story is transported to the glimmer and corruption of New Orleans during Prohibition, while his melodies are reimagined in the swinging style of the Jazz Age. Grammy Award®–winning superstar mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard portrays a struggling artist torn between her living and her love; while Tony®-nominated leading man Ramin Karimloo stars as her fellow singer and lover. With toe-tapping music, glamorous costumes, mistaken identities, and comic twists, Songbird infuses Frenchman Street flair into the classic “opéra bouffe” while keeping all of its irresistible charm.
Winner of five Tony® Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, COMPANY “strikes like a lightning bolt. It’s brilliantly conceived and funny as hell” (Variety). Helmed by three-time Tony®-winning director Marianne Elliott (War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Angels in America), this revelatory new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy, at once boldly sophisticated, deeply insightful, and downright hilarious.
It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man, and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st century could drive a person crazy.
COMPANY features Sondheim’s award-winning songs “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” “The Ladies Who Lunch,” “Side by Side by Side,” and the iconic “Being Alive.” Let’s all drink to that!
Look no further for top-notch ballet that’s also uproariously funny! The world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, famed for performing en travesti and en pointe, is back with another sensational program spoofing some of your favorite works. Join in the fun of the company’s 50th anniversary season as the virtuosity of these dancers amaze, even as they send you into stitches by exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance.
The group will perform a program of mixed repertory including:
Swan Lake
Go for Barocco
Dying Swan
Paquita
Our Audio-Described Performances of Little Shop of Horrors are scheduled for April 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. and April 27, 2024 at 2 p.m. We offer scheduled audio-described performances for all of our mainstage productions. To request an audio-describer for a different performance, please contact access@fords.org at least two weeks prior to your visit.
Little Shop of Horrors is a nonstop blast, sci-fi horror comedy, love story and rock musical that has become one of the most treasured pieces of American musical theatre. Little Shop pays homage to doo-wop and Motown recordings. The story follows a luckless florist shop worker, Seymour, who raises a wisecracking carnivorous plant – Audrey II – that develops a craving for human blood. He delights in the fame and fortune that his leafy, ever-growing friend attracts, while trying to show his co-worker Audrey that she is the girl of his dreams. As Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out-of-this-world origins and intent toward world domination, he learns the lesson: “Don’t feed the plants!” Join us for the return of Little Shop to our historic theatre, directed by Kevin S. McAllister (The Wiz, Ragtime).
Guided by Duke Ellington’s great canon, Jason Moran takes a solo piano climb up “Mount Ellington” in this extraordinary celebration of the composer’s enduring legacy. Experience the timeless genius of Ellington’s music, brilliantly reimagined by Moran and paired with iconic images of The Duke by legendary photographer Gordon Parks.
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum for a docent-led virtual tour designed for participants who are blind or have low vision. Discover highlights from the collection through rich verbal descriptions that invoke a multisensory experience.
The peaceful village of Bebko is alive with joyous celebrations. Suddenly, under attack, everything changes forever. Three siblings, Leto, Mati, and Tana, must embark on perilous journeys in order to survive.
Message In A Bottle is a spectacular new dance-theatre show from five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince, inspired by and set to the iconic hits of Kennedy Center Honoree and 17-time Grammy® Award–winning artist Sting, including “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Walking on the Moon,” and more. With a mix of exhilarating dance styles, high-energy footwork, and breathtaking athleticism, Message In A Bottle tells a unifying and uplifting story of humanity and hope.
This show is the latest masterpiece from the groundbreaking creator behind West End hits Some Like It Hip Hop, Into the Hoods, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (choreography), and SYLVIA (Old Vic) and features the astonishing talents of dance storytelling powerhouse ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company.
Recommended for age 12 and up. Contains some scenes of an adult nature.
The peaceful village of Bebko is alive with joyous celebrations. Suddenly, under attack, everything changes forever. Three siblings, Leto, Mati, and Tana, must embark on perilous journeys in order to survive. Message In A Bottle is a spectacular new dance-theater show from five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince, inspired by and set to the iconic hits of Kennedy Center Honoree and 17-time Grammy® Award–winning artist Sting.
Our Audio-Described Performances of Little Shop of Horrors are scheduled for April 9, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. and April 27, 2024 at 2 p.m. We offer scheduled audio-described performances for all of our mainstage productions. To request an audio-describer for a different performance, please contact access@fords.org at least two weeks prior to your visit.
Little Shop of Horrors is a nonstop blast, sci-fi horror comedy, love story and rock musical that has become one of the most treasured pieces of American musical theatre. Little Shop pays homage to doo-wop and Motown recordings. The story follows a luckless florist shop worker, Seymour, who raises a wisecracking carnivorous plant – Audrey II – that develops a craving for human blood. He delights in the fame and fortune that his leafy, ever-growing friend attracts, while trying to show his co-worker Audrey that she is the girl of his dreams. As Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out-of-this-world origins and intent toward world domination, he learns the lesson: “Don’t feed the plants!” Join us for the return of Little Shop to our historic theatre, directed by Kevin S. McAllister (The Wiz, Ragtime).
Mouret’s spirited opéra-ballet, Les Fêtes de Thalie, looks at love through the eyes of three women in these delightful vignettes: La Fille (The Girl), La Veuve Coquette (The Coquettish Widow) and La Femme (The Wife). Conducted by Christophe Rousset and directed by Catherine Turocy, these witty tales, in which women get the better of the men in their lives, feature a young and diverse cast of American singers and dancers.
Mouret’s spirited opéra-ballet, Les Fêtes de Thalie, looks at love through the eyes of three women in these delightful vignettes: La Fille (The Girl), La Veuve Coquette (The Coquettish Widow) and La Femme (The Wife). Conducted by Christophe Rousset and directed by Catherine Turocy, these witty tales, in which women get the better of the men in their lives, feature a young and diverse cast of American singers and dancers.
George Lopez’s illustrious and multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television. Lopez has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage.
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin*
Anna Clyne: This Moment**†
Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Danse nègre
Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations
Classical music loves a prodigy. Fresh off his multi-album deal with Decca Records, Sphinx laureate and Juilliard graduate Randall Goosby makes his exciting NSO debut performing Mendelssohn’s poetic Violin Concerto. Don’t miss this rising superstar with “ample charm” (The Classical Review), “alluring lyricism,” and “golden-age tenderness” (The New York Times).
Powerful princess Turandot plays by her own rules. She invites any suitor to marry her, but first they’ll have to correctly solve three riddles—or face a gruesome death. The men are dropping like flies until Prince Calaf cracks the code. When he poses his own riddle back to Turandot, she finally has a glimpse at true love. But will Turandot’s icy heart freeze love out?
Color… pageantry… spectacle… there’s a reason why Turandot is at the top of the opera canon. Puccini’s final work mesmerizes with its sumptuous music, from the alluring overture to Prince Calaf’s passionate “Nessun dorma,” one of the world’s most famous arias ever written. Grammy Award®–winning composer and playwright Christopher Tin, known for his film and video game soundtracks, and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Susan Soon He Stanton, offer a compelling ending to Puccini’s otherwise unfinished fantasy story. Turandot will let audience members decide for themselves: is Turandot mercilessly cruel, or justifiably cautious?
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, New York City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s treasured Jewels. Amidst the grandeur of the Opera House, glittering gems sweep, shine, and swirl across the stage. Witness Balanchine’s artistry at its peak from the world-renowned company he cofounded 75 years ago.
A three-act ballet, Jewels is a stunning visual portrait showcasing three distinct styles of dance paired with music from different composers. The radiant display begins with the elegance and charm of “Emeralds,” moving at Gabriel Fauré’s mesmerizing pace and drawing from romantic French ballet. The playful pizzazz of “Rubies” is next, representing firecracker American ballet set to Igor Stravinsky’s jazz-inflected capriccio. With a regal finale in order, the command and glamour of “Diamonds,” alongside a symphonic Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky score, honors the masterful Balanchine’s own Russian heritage.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, New York City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s treasured Jewels. Amidst the grandeur of the Opera House, glittering gems sweep, shine, and swirl across the stage. Witness Balanchine’s artistry at its peak from the world-renowned company he cofounded 75 years ago.
A three-act ballet, Jewels is a stunning visual portrait showcasing three distinct styles of dance paired with music from different composers. The radiant display begins with “Emeralds,” calling forth the elegance and charm of France and romantic French ballet through Gabriel Fauré’s mesmerizing music. “Rubies” is crisp and playful, representing firecracker American ballet set to Igor Stravinsky’s jazz-inflected capriccio. A symphonic score by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky commands a regal finale in “Diamonds,” evoking Balanchine’s classical training at the Mariinsky Theater.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, New York City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s treasured Jewels. Amidst the grandeur of the Opera House, glittering gems sweep, shine, and swirl across the stage. Witness Balanchine’s artistry at its peak from the world-renowned company he cofounded 75 years ago.
A three-act ballet, Jewels is a stunning visual portrait showcasing three distinct styles of dance paired with music from different composers. The radiant display begins with the elegance and charm of “Emeralds,” moving at Gabriel Fauré’s mesmerizing pace and drawing from romantic French ballet. The playful pizzazz of “Rubies” is next, representing firecracker American ballet set to Igor Stravinsky’s jazz-inflected capriccio. With a regal finale in order, the command and glamour of “Diamonds,” alongside a symphonic Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky score, honors the masterful Balanchine’s own Russian heritage.
The classic, lighthearted satire of the music industry! When it’s announced that Elvis-style heartthrob Conrad Birdie is being drafted into the army, teenage girls across America are dismayed—but their dismay turns to delight when they learn one lucky young lady will grant Birdie a kiss on live TV before he goes bye-bye. Featuring a songwriter, a secretary, and groupies galore, Bye Bye Birdie rings just as true today as it did in its 1960 Tony® Award–winning debut.
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s beloved, international best-selling novel, The Kite Runner is a powerful new play adapted by Matthew Spangler that follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country, and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. Told across two decades and two continents, this unforgettable journey of forgiveness shows us all that we can be good again.
Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, an updated book from Harvey Fierstein based on the original classic by Isobel Lennart, tap choreography by Ayodele Casel, choreography by Ellenore Scott, and direction from Michael Mayer, this love letter to the theatre has the whole shebang!
The sensational Broadway revival dazzles with celebrated classic songs, including “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened—she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.