Theater

Sponsored

Win Tickets to See Next to Normal at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Potomac Local News is giving away free tickets to one of the most powerful shows of the summer—Next to Normal at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts—and entering is as simple as filling out a form.

This summer, Riverside presents a bold and emotional musical that explores the story of a suburban family facing the challenges of bipolar disorder, grief, and mental health recovery. Set to a gripping contemporary rock score, Next to Normal is a Broadway favorite and winner of three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Go to Win Tickets to See Next to Normal at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts Read more
Fredericksburg

Next to Normal Brings Bold, Emotional Story to Riverside Stage This Summer

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts will launch its summer season with Next to Normal, a Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical that blends rock music with raw emotion to tell the story of a family navigating the stormy waters of mental illness and grief.

The show opens July 2 and runs through August 3, 2025, marking the Riverside debut of this emotionally charged and rarely produced musical. It stars real-life couple Adrienne Hick and Andrew Foote, who previously lit up the Riverside stage in The Bridges of Madison County. Now, they return in a production that digs even deeper. “We talk about the show pretty much every waking hour,” Hick said during a recent episode of the Potomac Local News Podcast. “Sometimes we have to declare a day off from it—it’s that consuming, in a good way.”

Go to Next to Normal Brings Bold, Emotional Story to Riverside Stage This Summer Read more
Manassas

Legally Blonde the Musical Hits the Stage in Manassas

By Potomac Local News

MANASSAS, Va. – Elle Woods is heading to Harvard Law — and to the local stage!

Pied Piper Theatre, the youth division of the ARTfactory in Manassas, is bringing the high-energy musical Legally Blonde to life on Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. Based on the 2001 hit movie and the novel by Amanda Brown, the show follows Elle, a stylish sorority queen who proves she’s more than just a pretty face when she enrolls at Harvard to win back her ex — and ends up finding her true self instead.

Go to Legally Blonde the Musical Hits the Stage in Manassas Read more
Fredericksburg

Catch These Must-See Shows Before the Curtains Close Sunday

By Potomac Local News
Coker as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. [Photo: Suzanne Carr-Rossi]

This weekend marks your last chance to catch two standout productions on local stages before the curtains close for good.

At the ARTfactory in Manassas, Lend Me a Soprano wraps up its run with performances through Sunday. This fast-paced farce, written by Ken Ludwig, offers a hilarious backstage comedy that’s been praised for its sharp direction, standout cast, and intimate setting. According to a review from the ARTfactory, the show “delivers big laughs in a small space” and makes the most of its cozy venue to pull audiences into the operatic chaos. Tickets and details are available at virginiaartfactory.org.

Go to Catch These Must-See Shows Before the Curtains Close Sunday Read more
Features

Step Inside the Kit Kat Club for Cabaret at the ARTfactory

By Potomac Local News

MANASSAS, Va. – The ARTfactory is inviting audiences on a journey back to 1930s Berlin with its new production of Cabaret, opening this season at the Wind River Theater. 🎭

Known for immersive theater experiences, the ARTfactory will transform the performance space into the smoky, seductive Kit Kat Club — the setting of the iconic musical. Audiences will step into a world where glitz, music, and freedom clash with rising political darkness.

Go to Step Inside the Kit Kat Club for Cabaret at the ARTfactory Read more
Podcast

Tug Coker Talks To Kill a Mockingbird at Riverside Center | Potomac Local News Podcast

By Potomac Local News
Coker as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. [Photo: Suzanne Carr-Rossi]

In this episode, Tug shares insights into his career, which spans TV, Broadway, and film, and talks about his return home to perform in this iconic American play. He opens up about his roots in Fredericksburg and what it means to come back and perform for a local audience. The conversation also touches on the relevance of To Kill a Mockingbird in today’s society and how theater continues to serve as a powerful medium for community connection and the exchange of ideas.

Listen to the full interview below and get your tickets to see To Kill a Mockingbird at Riverside Center:

Go to Tug Coker Talks To Kill a Mockingbird at Riverside Center | Potomac Local News Podcast Read more
Features

War, Protest, and Family: New Musical Into the Sun Hits the Vint Hill Stage This June

By Jazbia Chaudhry

Presented by Triune Entertainment, Into the Sun follows Freddy and Mary Sigfried as they navigate the emotional and moral upheavals of World War I. Freddy, eager to serve, rises through the military ranks but is haunted by the consequences of leadership. Meanwhile, Mary breaks with tradition by taking a job in a munitions factory, eventually grappling with the ethics of her work.

Director Esther Wells called the show “an honor” to direct, highlighting its local roots and cast of talented regional performers. Leading roles include Ryan Schaffer as Freddy and Audrey Mollo as Mary, joined by Cam Ezell, Joseph Allen, and others in a rich ensemble cast.

Go to War, Protest, and Family: New Musical Into the Sun Hits the Vint Hill Stage This June Read more
Features

The Addams Family Musical Haunts the Stage at Manassas Park High

By Potomac Local News

MANASSAS PARK, Va. – The Manassas Park High School Theatre Department is bringing a delightfully spooky classic to life this week with performances of The Addams Family Musical. The show runs from May 1 through May 4 and promises an evening filled with laughter, eerie tunes, and all the charm of the famously offbeat Addams clan.

In a post on social media, Manassas Park City Public Schools invited the community to enjoy “a spooktacular night of laughter, music, and macabre fun,” encouraging folks to snag tickets before they disappear. The musical, based on the iconic characters created by Charles Addams, follows the family’s hilarious antics as daughter Wednesday falls in love with someone “normal.”

Go to The Addams Family Musical Haunts the Stage at Manassas Park High Read more
Features

Fredericksburg’s Own Tug Coker Stars as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Riverside

By Uriah Kiser

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Broadway actor and Fredericksburg native Tug Coker is stepping into one of the most iconic roles in American theater—Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird—as he makes his hometown stage debut at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. The production runs May 7 through June 22, 2025.

Adapted from Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1930s Alabama and follows young siblings Scout and Jem as they navigate childhood under the watchful and moral guidance of their widowed father. The calm of their small town is shattered when Atticus Finch, a respected local attorney, defends a Black man falsely accused of a violent crime. Riverside describes the play as “timeless and lingering,” exploring “prejudice, compassion, and the courage to do what is right.”

Go to Fredericksburg’s Own Tug Coker Stars as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Riverside Read more
View More Stories