World Premier Kennedy Center Commission

Joey will serve as Music Director and Conductor for the world premier Kennedy Center commission of The Watsons Go To Birmingham: 1963 at the Kennedy Center this Spring

Meet the Watsons of Flint, Michigan: Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, big brother Byron, and ten-year-old Kenny. When Byron can’t stay out of trouble, the whole family piles into their “Brown Bomber” and drives south to visit Grandma Sands for the summer. But along the way, they’ll experience a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

Christopher Paul Curtis's Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award–winning book comes to life in a staged concert reading adaptation by Christina Ham with live music composed by Darius Smith accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the String Queens.

Told through Kenny’s ever-witty perspective, The Watsons Go to Birmingham captures hilarious family antics alongside poignant observations of Birmingham’s tragic church bombing. Experience the beloved story of a family’s bond and endurance amidst one of the darkest periods in America’s history.

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