// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Jessica Stone a rockstar? Because she's a stone-cold singer.
 |
Jessica Stone | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 30, 1970 |
| Occupations | Theatre director, actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Notable work | Kimberly Akimbo, Water for Elephants |
| Spouse | Christopher Fitzgerald (m. 2003) |
Jessica Stone (born July 30, 1970) is an American theatre actress and theatre director. She began her career as a Broadway performer in shows such as Grease, Anything Goes, and The Odd Couple before transitioning to directing.[1] Her directorial work has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at major regional theaters across the country. She made her Broadway directorial debut in 2022 with the musical Kimberly Akimbo, based on the play of the same name, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical.[2] In 2024, she directed Water for Elephants on Broadway and garnered her second Tony Award nomination in the same category.[3] She will take on the role of La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director in early 2026[4].
Early life
[edit]Born in Rochester, New York,[5] Stone began her career as an actress, with her first credit on the 1991 national tour of Bye, Bye Birdie that starred Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking.[6] She then made her Broadway debut in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease as Frenchy, alongside Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Mullaly.[7] Her performance received acclaim, being singled out in the New York Times review of the show as "winsome".[8]
Career
[edit] | This section may be unbalanced towards certain viewpoints. (January 2026) |
Stone continued on Broadway in the 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as a replacement for the role of Rosemary Pinkington. She then performed in several Off-Broadway productions, including two New York City Center Encores! productions, Babes in Arms and Tenderloin.[citation needed]
She found further success on Broadway in the 2000s, including the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Design for Living as Helen Carver, The Smell of the Kill as Molly and The Odd Couple as Cecily Pigeon, along with several Off-Broadway performances.[citation needed]
She also served as assistant director for the 2004 Broadway production of Match, which would later inspire her to direct herself. Her final Broadway credit as a performer was as Erma in the 2011 Sutton Foster-led revival of Anything Goes, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.[citation needed]
Stone's first directing credit came in 2022 as the director of the Broadway premiere of Kimberly Akimbo, for which she was nominated for her first Tony Award that year for Best Direction of a Musical. Her direction garnered acclaim, with New York Times critic Jesse Green calling it "exceptional", and stating that she "has turned up the hilarity dial as well, to keep all that emotion in balance".[9]
Just two years later, in 2024, she directed her second Broadway show with Water for Elephants. Her direction yet again received widespread acclaim, with Vulture critic Sara Holdren calling her direction "exuberant"[10] and the New York Post noted "watching (the cast) artfully pitch their tent in director Jessica Stone's production is a pleasure".[11] For her direction of the production, Stone was nominated for a Tony Award, and won an Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical.[citation needed]
Stone is set to return to New York, directing the 2026 New York City Center Encores! production of High Spirits.[12]
On November 18th 2025, La Jolla Playhouse announced Stone was appointed the new Artistic Director.[13] She succeeds Christopher Ashley, who is set to take on the role at New York’s Roundabout Theatre. Stone will officially begin her role at the Playhouse in early 2026.
Credits
[edit]| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Bye Bye Birdie | Performer | National Tour | |
| 1994 | Grease | Frenchy | Broadway, Eugene O'Neill Theatre | |
| 1995 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | Rosemary Pinkington | Broadway, Richard Rodgers Theatre | |
| 1998 | June Moon | Performer | Off-Broadway, Variety Arts Theatre | |
| 1999 | Babes in Arms | Dolores Reynolds | New York City Center Encores! Concert | |
| The Country Club | Performer | Off-Broadway, Greenwich House | ||
| 2000 | Tenderloin | Margie | New York City Center Encores! Concert | |
| 2001 | Design for Living | Helen Carver | Off-Broadway, Todd Haimes Theatre | |
| 2002 | The Smell of the Kill | Molly | Broadway, Hayes Theatre | |
| 2004 | Match | Assistant Director | Broadway, Plymouth Theatre | |
| 2005 | The Odd Couple | Cecily Pigeon | Broadway, Brooks Atkinson Theatre | |
| 2006 | Butley | Miss Heasman | Broadway, Booth Theatre | |
| 2008 | Crimes of the Heart | Chick Boyle | Off-Broadway, Laura Pels Theatre | |
| 2011 | Anything Goes | Erma | Broadway, Stephen Sondheim Theatre | |
| 2022 | Kimberly Akimbo | Director | Broadway, Booth Theatre | |
| 2024 | U.S. National Tour | |||
| Water for Elephants | Broadway, Imperial Theatre | |||
| 2026 | High Spirits | New York City Center Encores! Production |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated | [14] |
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Nominated | [15] | ||
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Nominated | [16] | |
| 2024 | Water for Elephants | Nominated | [17] | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Won | [18] | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Won | [19] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Jessica Stone – Broadway Cast & Staff". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (June 7, 2023). "2023 Tony Award Nominations: Kimberly Akimbo Leads with 11 Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (May 9, 2024). "Jessica Stone to Direct Broadway Premiere of Water for Elephants". Playbill. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Join Us in Welcoming Jessica Stone". La Jolla Playhouse. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Jessica Stone - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Pollack, Joe. "Happy Days Here Again With 'Birdie'", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 11, 1990, pg. 6E
- ↑ "B'way Grease! Closes Jan. 25 After 1501 Performances". Playbill. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Brantley, Ben (May 12, 1994). "Review/Theater; 'Grease,' Memories With a New-Wave Touch". The New York Times.
- ↑ Green, Jesse (November 10, 2022). "Review: 'Kimberly Akimbo,' Both Great and Small, Seizes the Day". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Holdren, Sara (March 21, 2024). "Water for Elephants Is Best When It's Behind the Times". Vulture. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ Oleksinski, Johnny (March 21, 2024). "'Water For Elephants' review: Awesome acrobats can't save this Broadway circus". New York Post. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Encores! High Spirits". Broadway Inbound. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Join Us in Welcoming Jessica Stone". La Jolla Playhouse. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (May 16, 2022). "Six, Kimberly Akimbo Lead 2022 Drama Desk Award Nominations; See the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ↑ Russo, Gillian (May 17, 2022). "New York Theater Guide News | NewYorkTheatreGuide.com". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ↑ "2023 Tony Awards Nominees". www.tonyawards.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "2024 Tony Awards Nominees". New York Times. April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Drama Desk Awards With 7 Wins Including Outstanding Play". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 28, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ↑ "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.