Chris Matthews News

In a bold undertaking as part of the company's involvement with the multi-year, multi-city National Civil War Project, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has commissioned Our War, a dynamic new theatrical event and collection of short stories that explores-through diverse perspectives-the historical memory and present-day reverberations of the U.S. Civil War. The company just met the press, and BroadwayWorld has photos below!

MSNBC topped CNN in primetime total viewers (615,000 vs. CNN's 531,000) for the month of September and 3Q (647,000 vs. CNN's 578,000) according to data from Nielsen. 3.6 million viewers tuned-in throughout the course of MSNBC's coverage of the Global Citizen Festival which aired on September 27 from 3-10 p.m. ET.

Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey took the stage last night in front of a sold out crowd at The Harman Center in Washington D.C. for a benefit supporting his Kevin Spacey Foundation, an organization which enables the creation of new work via grants, designs education opportunities through learning, and offers free university places via scholarships. The event was chaired by business leader/philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, along with honorary co-chairs Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 23rd District, House Majority Leader) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD 5th District, House Minority Whip).

Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey took the stage last night in front of a sold out crowd at The Harman Center in Washington D.C. for a benefit supporting his Kevin Spacey Foundation, an organization which enables the creation of new work via grants, designs education opportunities through learning, and offers free university places via scholarships. The event was chaired by business leader/philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, along with honorary co-chairs Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 23rd District, House Majority Leader) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD 5th District, House Minority Whip).

In June, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announced a national call for three-minute monologues held in conjunction with the world premiere of Our War, a dynamic new theatrical event and collection of short stories by 25 esteemed playwrights that explores--through diverse perspectives--the historical memory and present-day reverberations of the U.S. Civil War. The open monologue contest inspired by Our War brought in more than 150 entries from around the world, and the theater is pleased to announce the three winning monologues: Tree by Dave Lankford of New York, NY; Mary/Marcus by Sarah Pitard of London, UK; and The Peacock's War by Lisa Sillaway of Wichita, KS.

HOME, the organisation formed by the merger of Manchester's Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse, will follow up their critically acclaimed sold-out production of Angel Meadow with a spectacular site-specific production of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet in Manchester's historic Victoria Baths in September 2014 (http://homemcr.org/romeo-and-juliet), the building which won BBC1's first Restoration programme in 2003. The historic baths will be filled with 86,000 gallons of water for the performance. Performances will run from tonight Wednesday 10 September through Saturday 4 October.

In a bold undertaking as part of the company's involvement with the multi-year, multi-city National Civil War Project, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has commissioned Our War, a dynamic new theatrical event and collection of short stories that explores-through diverse perspectives-the historical memory and present-day reverberations of the U.S. Civil War.

HOME, the organisation formed by the merger of Manchester's Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse, will follow up their critically acclaimed sold-out production of Angel Meadow with a spectacular site-specific production of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet in Manchester's historic Victoria Baths in September 2014 (http://homemcr.org/romeo-and-juliet), the building which won BBC1's first Restoration programme in 2003.

MSNBC ended the first quarter of 2014 beating CNN in the key morning, weekday primetime, total day, sales day and M-Su primetime dayparts, according to data from Nielsen. *Please note that all data excludes the 2014 Sochi Olympics ratings.

The House Theatre of Chicago has announced the extension of their all-ages original play, Rose and the Rime, at the Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., through Sunday, March 23. The play is created by Company Members Chris Matthews, Jake Minton and Artistic Director Nathan Allen, who is also the production's director, choreography by Company Member Tommy Rapley and music by Company Member Kevin O' Donnell. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Although designed for adults, Rose and The Rime is suitable for kids six and up. The run time is 85 minutes with no intermission. Current ticket prices range from $20 to $40. Ticket prices for the extension (After March 9) range from $20 - $45 (performance schedule remains the same). $10 Student and Industry Same-Day discounted tickets are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

MSNBC ranked #2 in weekday primetime (M-F 8p-11p) with a 94% advantage over CNN among A25-54 (260,000 vs. CNN's 134,000) and a 103% advantage in total viewers (871,000 vs. 429,000) for the month. MSNBC weekday primetime is up 1% among A25-54 compared to Feb. 2013 while CNN dropped -41% year-over-year.

The House Theatre of Chicago has announced the extension of their all-ages original play, Rose and the Rime, at the Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., through Sunday, March 23. The play is created by Company Members Chris Matthews, Jake Minton and Artistic Director Nathan Allen, who is also the production's director, choreography by Company Member Tommy Rapley and music by Company Member Kevin O' Donnell. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Although designed for adults, Rose and The Rime is suitable for kids six and up. The run time is 85 minutes with no intermission. Current ticket prices range from $20 to $40. Ticket prices for the extension (After March 9) range from $20 - $45 (performance schedule remains the same). $10 Student and Industry Same-Day discounted tickets are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

The House Theatre of Chicago has announced the extension of their all-ages original play, Rose and the Rime, at the Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., through Sunday, March 23. The play is created by Company Members Chris Matthews, Jake Minton and Artistic Director Nathan Allen, who is also the production's director, choreography by Company Member Tommy Rapley and music by Company Member Kevin O' Donnell. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Although designed for adults, Rose and The Rime is suitable for kids six and up. The run time is 85 minutes with no intermission. Current ticket prices range from $20 to $40. Ticket prices for the extension (After March 9) range from $20 - $45 (performance schedule remains the same). $10 Student and Industry Same-Day discounted tickets are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

MSNBC's “Hardball” with Chris Matthews ranked #1 at 7 p.m. in the key A25-54 demo for the week of February 3-7, according to data from Nielsen. “Hardball” finished the week with 285,000 among A25-54, topping FNC's “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” with 282,000 A25-54 and CNN's “Erin Burnett Outfront” with 111,000 A25-54. This is MSNBC's first weekly demo win at 7 p.m. since Sept. 3, 2012 (live coverage from the 2012 Democratic National Convention).

Michael Smerconish will join CNN as host of a new weekly program that will air live on Saturday mornings from New York,

FULTON, Mo., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ The special relationship between world leaders President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is explored in a new exhibit at the National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College. The exhibit, which opened in January, will be open on President's Day, Feb. 17, 2014 and runs through March 9.

The House Theatre of Chicago presents the all-ages original play Rose and the Rime at the Chopin Theatre Upstairs Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. through Sunday, March 9. The play is created by Company Members Chris Matthews, Jake Minton and Artistic Director Nathan Allen, who will also serve as the production's director, and has choreography by Company Member Tommy Rapley and music by Company Member Kevin O' Donnell. Regular performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Although designed for adults, The Rose and the Rime is suitable for kids six and up and encourages young audiences to attend the opening of the production. The run time is 85 minutes with no intermission. Preview tickets are $15, Regular Run tickets range from $20 to $40 and $10 Student and Industry Same-Day discounted tickets are available for all dates, seats permitting. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehousetheatre.com or call 773.769.3832.

William Peace University, a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, has announced it is hosting a screening of the Sundance award-winning documentary, 'Inequality for All,' tonight, January 28, 2014. The film, which features American economist, professor, author and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, examines income inequality in the United States, along with a shrinking middle class, and their effect on America's economy and democracy.

It happened in April 1947 on a legendary train called 'The Capitol Limited,' as two men bunked down for the night for the trip back to Washington. The men were John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, fresh from a debate in McKeesport, Pennsylvania earlier that day, but more than a decade away from facing off in their race for the White House. As the train rocked gently and the darkness rushed by outside the windows, two future Presidents had a conversation that would last hours, spanning history, the onset of the Cold War, and their very personal and political dreams for themselves and the world. Based on a true story, in his magnificent new novella, 'Capitol Limited: A Story about John Kennedy and Richard Nixon,' author David R. Stokes re-creates this 'meeting of the minds' in vibrant and entertaining detail. Synopsis: Long before they famously debated each other during the 1960 presidential campaign John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon debated the merits of the new Taft-Hartley labor law in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in April 1947. But their minds were clearly on bigger things. As fate would have it, Kennedy and Nixon shared a Pullman compartment on a famous train called The Capitol Limited, the pride of the B&O line, for an overnight trip back to Washington. They stayed awake all night talking about their lives, hopes, and visions for a better world. 'Capitol Limited' is based on a very true story. Bestselling author David R. Stokes imagines how the conversation might have unfolded that long-ago night. Based on extensive research, and complete with a lengthy and unusual-for-a-novel bibliography, 'Capitol Limited' gives readers the chance to eavesdrop as two men have an animated conversation about history, world leaders, and the brewing geopolitical issues they would one day face as leaders of the free world. It was the dawn of the Cold War, and these two former Naval officers were developing a vision for the world, one that would be 'tempered by a hard and bitter peace.' And years later, the political torch would be passed to John Kennedy and Richard Nixon, who represented 'a new generation of Americans.' They would become America's premier Cold Warriors. For the author, a brief mention of this encounter lit a fire in his imagination and led to research for the novel. 'It was Chris Matthews of 'Hardball' who mentioned the train trip - Jack Kennedy in the top bunk and Richard Nixon in the bunk below - in his book about the two future presidents,' says Stokes. 'The men discussing the coming threat in Europe - how Matthews thought it was just about the greatest political poster story of all time, these two leaders discussing these issues as the train sped on to Washington.' Continuing: 'I have re-created that conversation between two men who couldn't have been more different, but I did so by reading everything I could about their opinions, their attitudes and their feelings. It wasn't about putting words into their mouths - instead, I wanted to make the reader feel as if they were right there, a fly on the wall, a witness to history.' 'Capitol Limited: A Story about John Kennedy and Richard Nixon,' 141 pages, published by CreateSpace, is available now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats. About the Author: David R. Stokes (57) is a minister, author, commentator, broadcaster, and columnist. His earlier book, 'The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America,' foreword by Bob Schieffer of CBS News (July 2011 Steerforth Press/Random House), is a narrative non-fiction, true crime thriller set in the 1920s. BOOKLIST, in a starred review, says: 'The book is engagingly written, in an immediate, you-are-there style, and the story is as compelling and surprising as any Grisham thriller. Top of the line.' It was a Wall Street Journal true crime bestseller. David lives in Fairfax, Virginia. His personal website is www.davidrstokes.com. On twitter he is @DavidRStokes. On Facebook you can find him at http://www.facebook.com/DavidRStokesAuthor Contact: David R. Stokes / 703-863-7025 / revstokes@gmail.com

MSNBC's continuing coverage and analysis of President Obama's State of the Union Address and the Republican response from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 28. Coverage will be hosted by Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews joined by Chris Hayes, Reverend Al Sharpton and MSNBC contributor Steve Schmidt. Ed Schultz will be live from Washington DC.