A tale of courage and compassion from World War 2, little known in the US, makes its American stage premiere in Wilmington.
“Glory Ride” tells the story of Gino Bartali, an Italian cyclist and Tour de France winner who worked behind the scenes in Mussolini’s Italy to aid getting refugees out of the country. Bartali’s story inspired this new musical, making its US premiere at the Delaware Theatre Company.
“So he used his status and then of course, his athletic ability to really accomplish this feat, and they saved almost 800 plus people during that time," says Mimi Warnick, DTC’s producing artistic director.
After opening in London to good reviews, Wilmington’s Delaware Theatre Company was picked to stage the first American performances. Warnick says work has been underway for nearly a year.
“On a normal show, you kind of start working with people a few months in advance; you might see them on a production meeting or things like that. But a lot of this creative team and cast has actually been working closely together for the better part of the year," she says.
Warnick says Wilmington offers a lot for productions with an eye on a Broadway run, including its experience in premiering new works and its proximity to New York City, with its legions of actors and technical experts.
“And then most importantly, our audiences are seasoned for this. Our audiences love taking risks. Our audiences love new work," Warnick says. "So it kind of became a destination for Glory Ride to be here, and we're very excited by that.”
Glory Ride begins public previews on February 25, with its official opening night on March 7.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
