A Legendary Evening with America’s Humorist: Mark Twain Tonight! at The National
Broadway at The National is bringing a beloved classic back to the stage this fall… with a twist.
Mark Twain Tonight! will play for just two performances, September 20–21, 2025, starring Emmy Award–winning actor Richard Thomas in a new production of Hal Holbrook’s legendary one-man show.
For more than six decades, Mark Twain Tonight! entertained audiences across the country, as Holbrook embodied America’s greatest humorist with a mix of irreverence, wit, and uncanny authenticity. The show was performed more than 2,300 times and became one of the most celebrated solo performances in American theatre. Now, for the first time in history, Holbrook’s torch has been officially passed. Richard Thomas, beloved as John-Boy Walton, seen most recently as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and on Netflix’s Ozark, is the only actor authorized to perform the play.
Known for his rich stage career (from Our Town to The Little Foxes) and screen performances that span generations, Thomas brings his own gravitas to the role, channeling Twain’s sharp humor and poignant social commentary. The production arrives on the cusp of the show’s 60th Broadway anniversary, with a creative team led by Michael Wilson (Creative Consultant) and supported by a lineup of award-winning designers.
Audiences can expect an evening steeped in Twain’s “uproariously funny” and “pungently wise” insights, the kind of wit that earned him the title “the nation’s one true comic genius.”
For Washington audiences, this limited engagement is more than just a play — it’s a chance to experience a theatrical tradition reimagined for a new era.
Performances will be held Saturday, September 20 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, September 21 at 2:00 pm at The National Theatre. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online at BroadwayAtTheNational.com or in person at the box office.
*Lead image of Richard Thomas as Mark Twain by Julieta Cervantes. Photographed at the Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford, Connecticut. Costume Designer Sam Fleming, Wig Designer Luc Verschueren.