With so many wonderful books to her credit, author Jacqueline Woodson has a wealth of material to give to her friends. As Education Artist-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center, Woodson’s “This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration” is a world premiere performance.
Woodson will be the narrator at both performances on Sunday, April 2, at 2 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. This musical is great for kids who are at least 7 years old.
The story is the tale of what many African American families did early in American history. Traveling from the south to the north during the great migration. A little girl finds a rope under a tree one summer, and thus the story begins. This is Woodson’s sixth book that has been adapted into a Kennedy Center production.
“As an artist, I like to imagine an infinity to my work — that there is no place the work can’t or shouldn’t go, so this feels great,” Woodson said about this new production of her work. “My list goes on. It’s awesome to imagine, reimagine, then imagine some more.”
“This is the Rope” is a National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Family Concert. A new score by Quinn Mason will be played by NSO and conducted by Kyle Dickson. Projected illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award-winner James Ransome will fill out the production.
“At the Kennedy Center, I’ve been able to imagine in places I hadn’t before thought I’d see; not because the work didn’t belong there but because it wasn’t yet on my radar,” Woodson continued. “It’s amazing to see a fictive memoir join up with the NSO and a child’s fear of being different become music, puppets, and celebration.”
A video feature of “This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration” is at https://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2022-2023/nso-family-this-is-the-rope. For ticket information, visit the Kennedy Center website at https://www.kennedy-center.org
I am looking forward to reading this book ,If I was in Washington I would not miss this event