“Grace,” which opened in mid-March at Ford’s Theatre, explores Black culinary traditions. Composer Nolan Williams, Jr. tells Washingtonian how the show came together.
Grace
The show started as something of a musical research project, suggested by one of Williams’s close friends and mentors, Steven Newsome, the former director of the Anacostia Community Museum. “Once I started looking into the materials he shared, and then doing further research, I really discovered what I believe to be a unique perspective of American history through the lens of African American foodways,” Williams says. “Literally, the history just started singing to me.
Still, Williams and co-producer Dale Mott quickly pivoted, launching a live chat called #ByGrace exploring the show’s themes with celebrity chef and DC resident Carla Hall. They were shocked when more than 30,000 people attended. That popularity prompted the team to continue the live chats, and the series went on to win Telly awards for Best Non-Scripted Online Series and Best Food & Beverage Online Series.
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