Photo courtesy OpSail 2000
Scott Wichmann gets goosebumps whenever he talks about Sail4th 250, taking place in New York City from July 3 to 8.
“It is an absolutely tremendous once-in-a-lifetime event,” says Wichmann, a U.S. Navy mass communication specialist and well-known Richmond actor. “We’re making history on the Hudson in 2026, and I get to play a small part in something truly special.”
The pinnacle event of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, Sail4th 250 will be the largest maritime and aerial gathering in American history. More than 40 tall ships — including the three that visited Richmond last month — and 50 naval vessels will arrive in New York City this week to participate in an International Naval Review, a Grand Review of Tall Ships, an International Parade of Sail and other events. The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels will lead an International Aerial Review featuring 100-plus U.S. and partner nation aircraft. In all, 46 nations will be represented.
Public events during the celebration include ship tours, military band concerts, drill team performances, demonstrations and more. Six million spectators, 20,000 sailors and numerous international officials are expected to attend.
Event planners have been working on this effort for about four years. Wichmann joined the team as a social media planner earlier this year after interviewing with the leadership at Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, the regional coordinator for all shore-based naval personnel and shore activities in the mid-Atlantic region. “I’m honored to have been selected to help get the word out about this once-in-a-generation event,” he says.
This is just the seventh International Naval Review in the U.S.; two of the previous reviews took place in Hampton Roads to celebrate the 300th and 350th anniversaries of the Jamestown Settlement in 1907 and 1957, respectively. As a result, Wichmann says, one challenge has been differentiating the INR from Fleet Week, an annual gathering of Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel and ships in New York over Memorial Day Weekend. “Because INRs are fewer and farther between, they don’t have the generational brand recognition that a Fleet Week does,” he explains. But, he adds, “If you like Fleet Week, you’re going to love International Naval Review 250.”
In addition to social media planning, Wichmann is part of a team charged with running day-to-day production operations. Nearly 50 Navy communications specialists will cover strategic locations in New York City to capture the events before, during and after Independence Day. “We’re also coordinating with other service branches and attempting to find new, exciting ways to cover it,” Wichmann adds.
Wichmann in his role as Black Stache in Firehouse Theatre’s 2024 production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” (Photo courtesy Scott Wichmann)
Many Richmonders know Wichmann as the actor and cabaret performer “Mister Showtime.” He landed his first role in Richmond in 1998 and most recently appeared in “Peter and the Starcatcher” at Firehouse Theatre in August 2024. Although Wichmann joined the Navy Reserves in 2009 and spent eight years on active duty, he still acts and performs regionally from his home in Norfolk.
In fact, Wichmann compares preparing for Sail4th 250 to rehearsing for a play. “As the rehearsal weeks roll by, everyone really owns their role,” he says. “By the end of rehearsal, you’re bursting with pride to show the audience your work. I may not have made it onto a Broadway stage before, but I would hope a show with the sheer size and magnitude of this might count, because the Navy is taking center stage in the greatest city in the world. I’m very glad to be in this ensemble.”
Wichmann and King Kong discuss Sail4th 250 in New York’s Times Square. (Image courtesy Scott Wichmann)
Wichmann says his acting experience came in handy during promotions for the event. For one, a parody of “Saturday Night Fever,” he walked New York’s 86th Street dressed in his Navy summer whites with the song “Staying Alive” blaring from his phone, and for another he interviewed King Kong in Times Square. “The staff at the Empire State Building kindly invited us up to the observation deck so we could shoot a few promos up there,” he adds. “That was spectacular, and something I’d never done before.”
Still, Sail4th 250 is a one-of-a-kind event for Wichmann. “The fact that I get to be a part of it kind of renders me speechless. I have been in many places on deployments and on different communications missions around the world, but another set of orders like this one won’t be available for another 250 years,” he says.
“I come from a family with a legacy of military service and a deep sense of both patriotism and commitment to this nation,” Wichmann continues. “Working on this event, I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to have been born here in the United States of America.”
Follow Scott Wichmann and the U.S. Navy team’s coverage of Sail4th 250 and the International Naval Review on Instagram or Facebook. Broadcast coverage is on NBC and Peacock.
