Photo Flash: THE CITY OF CONVERSATION, Starring Margaret Colin, Celebrates Opening at Arena Stage

Anthony Giardina's Off-Broadway smash hit THE CITY OF CONVERSATION, about a Georgetown political hostess, makes its Washington, D.C. debut at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Following his direction of the 2014 world premiere at Lincoln Center Theater, Tony Award winner Doug Hughes returns to direct this political drama spanning three decades, from Carter's presidency through the Reagan era and ending with Obama's inauguration. THE CITY OF CONVERSATION runs now through March 6, 2016 in the Fichandler Stage. The show just celebrated its opening night and BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

Stage and screen actress Margaret Colin (Eleanor Waldorf on CW's Gossip Girl, Broadway's The Columnist and Arcadia) stars as Washington hostess and social lioness Hester Ferris. The cast features Michael Simpson reprising his roles as Colin Ferris and Ethan Ferris, which he originated in the New York premiere, Caroline Hewitt (Center Stage's Twelfth Night) as Anna Fitzgerald, Ann McDonough (Broadway's Dinner at Eight) as Jean Swift and Tom Wiggin (CBS' As the World Turns, Broadway's Abe Lincoln in Illinois) as Chandler Harris.

The cast also includes Freddie Bennett as Donald Logan, Todd Scofield as George Mallonee, Jjana Valentiner as Carolyn Mallonee and nine-year-old Tyler Smallwood as Young Ethan Ferris, with Caedan White as understudy for Young Ethan.

The Arena Stage production reunites the original Off-Broadway creative team -- Set Designer John Lee Beatty, Costume Designer Catherine Zuber, Lighting Designer Tyler Micoleau and Original Music and Sound Designer Mark Bennett -- who reimagine the production for an intimate in-the-round staging set in the living room of a Georgetown townhouse.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION is part of a powerful lineup of social and political dramas at Arena Stage this spring and opens immediately following Lynn Nottage's new drama Sweat. The socio-political themes continue with Robert Schenkkan's 2014 Tony Award-winning All the Way and Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced. For tickets and more information, visit www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/the-season/productions/the-city-of-conversation.

Photo Credit: Cameron Whitman