Contraband
The Untold Story
of Empancipation
Ella
The life and music
of Ella Fitzgerald
Welcome to entertainment.
GVI has been a staple in live musical theater around Coastal Virginia for nearly 20 years. Founded by Gary Spell (who is a gifted writer and unique musical talent alone,) GVI has produced many wonderful musicals. 1619, The Witch of Pungo, Wreck of the Dictator, Ella, and Virginia Mother of Presidents are just a few that you may have seen from The Yoder Barn Theatre and the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News, the Fort Monroe Theatre in Hampton, and the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Welcome to entertainment.
GVI has been a staple in live musical theater around Coastal Virginia for nearly 20 years. Founded by Gary Spell (who is a gifted writer and unique musical talent alone,) GVI has produced many wonderful musicals. 1619, The Witch of Pungo, Wreck of the Dictator, Ella, and Virginia Mother of Presidents are just a few that you may have seen from The Yoder Barn Theatre and the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News, the Fort Monroe Theatre in Hampton, and the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Showtimes:
Friday – Sunday at 8:00 PM & 9:00 PM
(August 4-27 – Weather Permitting)
Virginia Legends Walk Stage
Listen:
Soundtrack coming soon on your favorite streaming platforms
Contraband: The Untold Story of Emancipation
On the evening of May 23, 1861, just a few hours after Virginia seceded from the Union, three runaway slaves rowed a boat across the Chesapeake Bay under cover of night and knocked on the massive gates at Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA seeking asylum. In violation of the Fugitive Slave Law, Fort Monroe Commander General Benjamin Butler let them in. When confronted with his war crime, General Butler, an attorney, proffered a legal argument that would change the course of history and the destiny of hundreds of thousands of lives: since Virginia had officially seceded from the Union, and since slaves were considered property, the slaves could be kept “as contraband of war”.
The stunning sequel of 1619: When Destinies Collide tells the continuation of the African-American story that took place on the very same plot of ground where the first Africans stepped ashore at modern-day Fort Monroe. Now, over two hundred years later, as word of General Butler’s decision began to spread, runaway slaves began to flock to what became known as “Freedom’s Fortress.” Before the end of the war, Fort Monroe would become a refuge for over 500,000 slaves.
Showtimes:
Friday – Sunday at 8:00 PM & 9:00 PM
(August 4-27 – Weather Permitting)
Virginia Legends Walk Stage
Listen:
Soundtrack coming soon on your favorite streaming platforms
Contraband: The Untold Story of Emancipation
On the evening of May 23, 1861, just a few hours after Virginia seceded from the Union, three runaway slaves rowed a boat across the Chesapeake Bay under cover of night and knocked on the massive gates at Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA seeking asylum. In violation of the Fugitive Slave Law, Fort Monroe Commander General Benjamin Butler let them in. When confronted with his war crime, General Butler, an attorney, proffered a legal argument that would change the course of history and the destiny of hundreds of thousands of lives: since Virginia had officially seceded from the Union, and since slaves were considered property, the slaves could be kept “as contraband of war”.
The stunning sequel of 1619: When Destinies Collide tells the continuation of the African-American story that took place on the very same plot of ground where the first Africans stepped ashore at modern-day Fort Monroe. Now, over two hundred years later, as word of General Butler’s decision began to spread, runaway slaves began to flock to what became known as “Freedom’s Fortress.” Before the end of the war, Fort Monroe would become a refuge for over 500,000 slaves.
Listen:
1619: When Destinies Collide
1619 tells the compelling story of the first native Africans who set foot on American soil. It is a story of lives and cultures interrupted – and destinies grafted together. Told through riveting live performance with a powerful musical score, 1619 is a story that 400 years later must be told.
In the early dawn of August 20, 1619, a wounded ship limped through the mist into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Its mission was dark and shrouded in political espionage. It was an English ship flying under a Dutch flag and carrying a letter of marque from the Protestant Dutch Prince Maurice – a license to legally pirate Spanish or Portuguese ships. The pirate was English Captain John Collin Jope, and the ship was The White Lion. As The White Lion’s hull cut silently through the morning water, they passed, unceremoniously, by Cape Henry, the site where Christopher Newport had led his Virginia Company crew ashore for the “First Landing”. And now, just 12 years later, another “First Landing” was about to take place; one marked with pain and triumph. And one that would forever change the face of this still-infant nation.
Listen:
1619: When Destinies Collide
1619 tells the compelling story of the first native Africans who set foot on American soil. It is a story of lives and cultures interrupted – and destinies grafted together. Told through riveting live performance with a powerful musical score, 1619 is a story that 400 years later must be told.
In the early dawn of August 20, 1619, a wounded ship limped through the mist into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Its mission was dark and shrouded in political espionage. It was an English ship flying under a Dutch flag and carrying a letter of marque from the Protestant Dutch Prince Maurice – a license to legally pirate Spanish or Portuguese ships. The pirate was English Captain John Collin Jope, and the ship was The White Lion. As The White Lion’s hull cut silently through the morning water, they passed, unceremoniously, by Cape Henry, the site where Christopher Newport had led his Virginia Company crew ashore for the “First Landing”. And now, just 12 years later, another “First Landing” was about to take place; one marked with pain and triumph. And one that would forever change the face of this still-infant nation.
Listen:
Ella: The Life and Music of Ella Fitzgerald
Newport News native, Ella Fitzgerald is sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. This 30 minute show hits the highlights of her life and career.
Listen:
Ella: The Life and Music of Ella Fitzgerald
Newport News native, Ella Fitzgerald is sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. This 30 minute show hits the highlights of her life and career.
Listen:
The Witch of Pungo
Grace Sherwood was the only woman in the history of Virginia to be convicted of the crime of Witchcraft. Her story is told in a half-hour musical every summer at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
Listen:
The Witch of Pungo
Grace Sherwood was the only woman in the history of Virginia to be convicted of the crime of Witchcraft. Her story is told in a half-hour musical every summer at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
The Wreck of the Dictator
On Good Friday, March 27, 1891, the Norwegian barque Dictator, whose home port was the coastal town of Moss, Norway, was lost in the Atlantic Ocean south of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay off Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is the story.
The Wreck of the Dictator
On Good Friday, March 27, 1891, the Norwegian barque Dictator, whose home port was the coastal town of Moss, Norway, was lost in the Atlantic Ocean south of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay off Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is the story.