Flyers

Even though their schoolteacher's Greek myth warns them of Icarus, young Orville and Wilbur Wright are still convinced that real flight is possible. But when "the Bishop's boys" share this notion with their classmates, they are teased and laughed at. Still, the Wrights follow aviation advances avidly through the years, but the two bicycle makers from Dayton, Ohio, never dream they will be at the forefront of the aeronautical world. Then, nearly losing Orville to typhoid fever and hearing of the tragic death of their hero, Otto Lilienthal, the German pioneer of aviation, they are inspired to throw their hats in the ring and join the "race to flight." Choosing Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to test their gliders, Orville and Wilbur are welcomed by the Tate family and the U.S. Coast Guard. Failing to perfectly tweak the elements of proper lift and drag, they are convinced that something in the accepted science must be incorrect. Back in Dayton, Wilbur is invited to speak at the Aeronautical Convention in Chicago. Initially afraid he'll be laughed off the stage, Wilbur attends and scandalizes the world-famous engineers by proclaiming their long-trusted coefficients of lift and drag to be incorrect. He realizes that, to be taken seriously, they will have to come up with the right math. The Wrights build a wind tunnel to test various wing shapes on a small scale before trying them in the sky. The match is lit once again, and the inexhaustible, innovative brothers keep trying until their ultimate success! Written for young and old alike, this musical is about perseverance, believing in yourself and not giving up. With catchy songs inspired by the Gay '90s, Flyers leaves audiences still humming to themselves even after the play is over and they've finished laughing, crying and cheering.