My Night @FordsTheatre

Sabrina is full of life.

Wet Wednesdays are humdrum in our house. Dinner. Homework. Music practice. Reading. Math facts. Sports practices. Blah. Kids. Blah. Kids. Blah. Except that every so often I get a chance to do something very grownup and elegant.

Last Wednesday I was invited to the media night at Ford’s Theater. I don’t know whether I was more excited to see the show or Ford’s Theater. It was a toss up.

For as long as I have lived in and around Washington, D.C., Ford’s Theater has fascinated me. A theater that is the spot where a president was assassinated appeals to my sens of the macabre and my theater side. When I was a new college graduate living in D.C. I couldn’t afford to go to Ford’s Theater. Now that I can afford to go I can’t get to the theater because of basketaball…karate..back-to-school night. Bah humbug!

I had never heard of Sabrina Fair. I wondered if it was a show from the time of Thomas Hardy…sounds a little Far from the Madding Crowd-ish doesn’t it? A read through of the summary of the play jogged my memory. I had two recollections of Sabrina Fair: (1) the 1950s film Sabrina inspired by the play in which the ever-fashionable Audrey Hepburn starred, and (2) the 1990s movie of the same name with Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond. I had seen the second movie, but not the original Sabrina.

Sabrina Fair has a rich storyline with a solid cast. All of the actors had that “I think I recognize him/her from somewhere before.” All were likable. The story centers around the Larrabee family. The action takes place over a couple of week period. The Larrabees are new money, which means they made good investments during the Great Depression.

From the Playbill…

Sabrina Fair considers true love hindered by class, race and social conventions. When the daughter of the Larrabees’ chauffeur returns from a year in Paris, she bewitches the Larrabee brothers with her youthful vitality and newly found sophistication. Largely ignored as a child, Sabrina now finds suitors at every turn, including the handsome playboy David, for whom she has always harbored affection. But is David the right Larrabee brother for her? Stephen Rayne directs this delightful modern twist on the Cinderella story.

The set features the patio and terrace area of a country home on the Hamptons. The set designers filled the entire stage with the terrace area. Oh and the famous balcony where Lincoln was assassinated is draped with the American flag. The balconies were not occupied during the show I saw, so I don’t know if you can watch the play from the balcony. My only complaint with my seat is that I was next to a column. There are several columns that are integral to the architecture of the interior of the theater. The seat directly behind the column is blocked off. My advice would be to avoid the seats to the left and right of the columns as you can miss a bit of the action.

The fashions were very 1950s. Elegant Audrey Hepburn-ish summery dresses matched with men’s deck shoes and blazers. The lighting was well done. The set moved from bright sunlight on a sunny day to moonlight.

Sabrina Fair was an excellent show. From the set to the actors to the play, I thoroughly enjoyed my night out without kids and husband. Sabrina Fair would have made an excellent date night at the theater…sadly my husband had to be the dedicated stay-at-home parent for the evening.

Sabrina Fair — a play by Samuel A. Taylor will be at Ford’s Theatre through October 24

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I have a giveaway for DC, Maryland, and Virginia readers! Experience Ford’s Theater AND see Sabrina Fair. A must win event. I have a pair of tickets for Sunday’s performance: