New musical by DC composer 'Grace' coming to the Ford's Theatre
'Grace' is a new American musical about food and family by DC-raised composer Nolan Williams Jr. Its world premiere will be at historic Ford's Theatre in 2022.
Williams, who by his own admission cannot and does not cook - dove deep into research on Black culinary food traditions after a curiosity sparked by learning about tea cakes while working on another musical project – and he was hooked. As he dug in on his research, he says, the culinary history started singing to him. That’s how he came up with ideas for songs for the show, like “Potlikker,” “Black Eyed Peas” and “Chicken Ramen Noodles and Cherry Kool-Aid.”
Williams grew up in DC, even appearing on regional stages as a child, so having his show premiere in DC is a particular thrill. He has an extensive body of work, including directing a recent documentary on DC as 51st state "Becoming Douglass Commonwealth," He was named one of the Kennedy Center's inaugural Social Practice Residents, and has musical stage productions including Stirring the Waters Across America at The Kennedy Center, Go, Tell It! at Lincoln Theatre, and Devine Hamer Gray (in development).
