Tom Story News

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, announces casting for the first two mainstage productions of its 2012-2013 Season. The Government Inspector, running from September 13 - October 28 at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street NW), and A Midsummer Night's Dream, running from November 15 - December 30 at Sidney Harman Hall(610 F Street NW), both feature new and familiar faces to STC's stages.

Shakespeare Theatre Company ends their Tony Award-winning season with a luxurious production of Shakespeare's THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR and prepares for another 'Free for All.'

The Shakespeare Theatre Company announces casting for the two remaining productions of their 25th Anniversary Season. The Servant of Two Masters, running from May 15-June 24 at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street NW), and The Merry Wives of Windsor, running from June 12-July 15 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW), both feature new and familiar faces to STC's stages.

Last night before a crowd of 200 theatre makers and theatre lovers, theatreWashington announced the nominees for the 28th Helen Hayes Awards. The National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery set the scene for the announcement of nominees in 26 categories for artistic excellence and the announcement of the recipient of the 2012 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. The Helen Hayes Awards is one of the most prestigious honors for artists and theatre companies in Washington's vibrant theatre scene.

Washington D.C.'s Ford's Theatre has just anounced the cast for their upcoming production of 1776. Featuring direction by Peter Flynn and choreography by Michael Bobbitt, the production will run March 9 through May 19. The star studded cast will include Robert Cuccioli as John Dickinson, Brooks Ashmanskas as John Adams, William Diggle as Thomas Jefferson, Gregory Maheu as Edward Rutledge, and Tom Story as Charles Thomson.

The Ford's Theatre 2011-2012 season continues with 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens and adapted by Michael Wilson, November 18 to December 31, 2011.

In her smart comedy The Book Club Play, D.C.-area playwright Karen Zacarías examines the intricacies of book clubs, with their unspoken rules, high-spirited debates and strong bonds formed when least expected. With an ensemble cast featuring Fred Arsenault, Ashlie Atkinson, Rachael Holmes, Eric Messner, Kate Eastwood Norris and Tom Story, this is Zacarías' second collaboration with Director Molly Smith at Arena Stage and is the first work of a Resident Playwright to be produced as part of their three-year residencies through the American Voices New Play Institute. The Book Club Play runs October 7-November 6, 2011 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.

The new DC area theatre season begins in September. Over 50 shows are opening in our professional and community theatres. But before we move on to the new season and what's opening in September, let's look back at my personal favorite musicals, plays, and performances in both musicals and plays in the DC area - from August 2010 to August 2011.

Always wanted to catch THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Broadway? On Monday, July 4, 2011, PHANTOM will be the only show running on Broadway with one performance at 8pm. While most Broadway shows are 'dark' on Mondays (serving as the company's day off), MAMMA MIA!, ROCK OF AGES, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, CHICAGO and GHETTO KLOWN do regularly perform on Mondays along with PHANTOM, however are celebrating an altered schedule this week to accommodate the holiday.

Always wanted to catch THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Broadway? On Monday, July 4, 2011, PHANTOM will be the only show running on Broadway with one performance at 8pm. While most Broadway shows are 'dark' on Mondays (serving as the company's day off), MAMMA MIA!, ROCK OF AGES, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, CHICAGO and GHETTO KLOWN do regularly perform on Mondays along with PHANTOM, however are celebrating an altered schedule for next week to accommodate the holiday.

There's a lot of 'steam heat' on DC area stages and outside, so if you're visiting DC for the annual July 4th fireworks extravaganza, stop by and see a show before you roast on the Mall waiting for the concert and loud "booms" to fill up the sky. And if you couldn't get into the sold-out Oklahoma!, Aquarium, Clybourne Park, or The Importance of Being Earnest - earlier this year - you have a chance now! And then there's The Capital Fringe Festival with dozens of new shows to choose from.

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Country music star and American Idol alum Carrie Underwood paid a visit to Broadway's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on January 28 with her husband, Mike Fisher. Check out the photo of Carrie with the cast below!

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reached an unprecedented milestone on January 26, 2011, when it celebrated its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years. Broadway Beat was there for the occasion and brings you coverage below.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reaches an unprecedented milestone today, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, when it celebrated its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reaches an unprecedented milestone today, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, when it celebrates its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, last week shattered the house record at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street) to have its best weekly gross in the production's nearly 23 year history. For the week ending January 2, 2011, the production grossed $1,390,530.53 for 8 performances. This surpasses the show's previous record of $1,374,874.96 for the week ending January 3, 2010. Set to celebrate an unprecedented 23 Years on Wednesday, January 26, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production continues to play at The Majestic with no end in sight.

The Ford's Theatre 2010-2011 season continues with 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens and adapted by Michael Wilson. The production will close January 2, 2011.

Happy Holidays everyone! Come visit our Nation's Capital during the holiday season. It's such a beautiful time of the year here, with so many lights shimmering on the monuments, The Mall, and on The White House. As we await the first snow flakes, DC area theatres are chocked full of productions for the whole family filled with elves, reindeers, Santas, and Scrooges.