Directed by Tony Award nominee LaTanya Richardson Jackson (A Raisin In The Sun, To Kill A Mockingbird), who is making her Broadway directorial debut and will be the first woman to ever direct an August Wilson play on Broadway, this production will star Samuel L. Jackson (The Mountaintop), who originated the role of Boy Willie at Yale Rep in 1987,  as Doaker Charles, John David Washington as Boy Willie, and Antonyo Award winner and Tony nominee Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) as Berniece. The Piano Lesson will begin performances on Monday, September 19, 2022, at the St. James Theatre.

“August Wilson dedicated his life and devoted his talent to dramatizing our stories and our experience. In doing so, he forever changed what it means to be Black in America. His plays built empathy, created community, and showed us the power of representation. The Piano Lesson is one of his most enduring, profound and consequential masterpieces, and I am reveling in this opportunity to present it to Broadway audiences for the first time since its premiere.”

LaTanya Richardson Jackson

The Piano Lesson is set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1936.  A brother and sister are locked in a war over the fate of a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their ancestors. Only by revisiting history can the siblings endeavor to move forward.

August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Piano Lesson is the fourth play in the American Century Cycle, which premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1987, starring a then-39-year-old Samuel L. Jackson as Boy Willie. Three years later, a new production, starring Carl Gordon, Charles S. Dutton, and S. Epatha Merkerson, opened at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, and soon transferred to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize for drama, The Piano Lesson won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, the Peabody Award, and was nominated for the 1990 Tony Award for Best Play.

Producers Moreland (Thoughts of a Colored Man), Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Kirdahy (Hadestown) said:

“We are humbled and honored to return Mr. Wilson’s work to the Broadway stage under the inspirational LaTanya Richardson Jackson. After more than 30 years, The Piano Lesson is still adding to the ever-evolving conversation about family legacy. This production is coming back to Broadway at such an exciting time for our industry as we work to rebuild – and who better than Mr. Wilson to help us.”

Wilson’s American Century Cycle chronicles the Black experience throughout the 20^th Century over the course of ten plays – each set in a different decade. The Cycle consists of Jitney, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gem of the Ocean, and Radio Golf. The Cycle includes five New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award winners, two Pulitzer Prize winners, and a Tony Award-winning Best Play.

The St. James Theatre is owned and operated by Jujamcyn Theaters, who produced the original Broadway production of The Piano Lesson at their theatre, the Walter Kerr, in 1990. In 2005, Jujamcyn Theaters renamed the Virginia Theatre the “August Wilson Theatre” in honor of the Pulitzer-Prize winner. Additionally, their history with August Wilson goes back many years. Jujamcyn Theaters lead produced six original productions in Wilson’s Century Cycle, including the Broadway runs of The Piano Lesson (1990, Walter Kerr); Two Trains Running (1992, Walter Kerr); Seven Guitars (1996, Walter Kerr); King Hedley II (2001, formerly the Virginia, now the August Wilson); Gem of the Ocean (2004, Walter Kerr); and Radio Golf (2007, Cort).

The post Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Brooks To Lead Broadway Revival of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson appeared first on Broadway Black.

Friedman-Abeles/New York Public Library

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the Broadway debut of Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark play A Raisin In the Sun. It was on this date that history was made as Hansberry was the first African American woman to have her play produced and performed on Broadway; it was also the first Broadway play to be directed by a Black person (Lloyd Richards). It opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theater (and later moved to the Belasco Theater) on March 11, 1959, and played for a total of 530 performances before closing on June 25, 1960.

The play centers around the Youngers: a family of five that lives in a 2-bedroom apartment on the Southside of Chicago. Set to the backdrop of post-WWII, the family’s pursuit of success is driven by the idealization of the American dream; often thwarted by the consequential effects of racism, cultural appropriation and identity, and generational differences. Hansberry gives the reader, and oftentimes the performer, an eye-opening look into the Black experience in America with questions of freedom – educational and economic – ruling the conversation.

The play echoes many of the circumstances and accounts of the playwright’s family from the 1940 Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee, which gave them a voice in the judicial system to fight against racial discrimination in the housing market.  Inspired by that, she wrote parts of her truth through the language of a family who only wanted their slice of the American pie; a slice that would feed their spirits in a world that starved them of their identity. 

A Raisin In the Sun has seen a long history on Broadway and around the world. After the original production was nominated in 1960 for four Tony Awards, the story became a universal tale of hope and success. The original production starred Hollywood leading man Sidney Poitier (later succeeded by Ossie Davis), Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Louis Gossett, Ivan Dixon, Lonne Elder III, John Fiedler, Glynn Turman, and Ed Hall. Multiple iterations of Hansberry’s classic have graced the stage and screen over the last 62 years: 

1961 film starring the original Broadway cast. 

Raisin (a musical based on A Raisin In the Sun) debuted on Broadway in 1973. The book was written by Hansberry’s former husband and starred Joe Morton, Debbie Allen, Virginia Capers (Tony winner for Lead Actress in a Musical), Ernestine Jackson, and Ralph Carter. It also won the Tony Award for Best Musical. 

1989 tv film starring Danny Glover and Esther Rolle.

2004 Broadway revival starring Sean Combs, Audra McDonald (Tony winner for Best Featured Actress in a Play), Sanaa Lathan, and Phylicia Rashad (Tony winner for Best Actress in a Play; also the first Black woman to win this award).

2008 tv movie event starring many of the leads of the 2004 Broadway revival. 

2014 Broadway revival at the Ethel Barrymore Theater (where it originally played in 1959) starring Denzel Washington, Sophie Okonedo (Tony winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play), Anika Noni Rose, and LaTanya Richardson Jackson. The production also won the Tonys for Best Revival of a Play and Best Direction for Kenny Leon (who also directed the 2008 tv movie). 

The title was inspired by the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem,” which starts out with “what happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” It is the hope in the midst of suffering and the strength in the midst of pain that makes this classic theatre work a blessing to the arts community.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Broadway Black honors Lorraine Hansberry. Your dream is a gift to us all.

The post A Dream Realized: On This Day In Black Theatre History A Raisin In the Sun Debuts on Broadway appeared first on Broadway Black.

Fishburne, Hall, and Richardson Jackson will join actors Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Tony Kushner, Peter Sarsgaard, John Turturro and several others in reading excerpts from Miller’s autobiography, “Timebends,” and his unpublished works as well as scenes from his plays including Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, The Price, and All My Sons.

Tony Award winner Gregory Mosher who staged the 2010 Broadway revival of A View From the Bridge starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson will direct the event. And, Cindy Tolan and Damon Cardasis are the evening’s producers. The current revival of A View From The Bridge will play at the Lyceum Theatre through February 21.

The one-night-only performance is a fundraiser for the Arthur Miller Foundation for Theater And Film Education, which promotes access and equity to public school theater and film education. The Foundation believes that “arts education is the right of every New York City public school student.”

Miller, a prolific playwright who is widely considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, won the Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman. He also twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, received two Emmy awards and three Tony Awards for his plays, as well as a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.  Miller also won an Obie award, a BBC Best Play Award, the George Foster Peabody Award, a Gold Medal for Drama from the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Tickets are available here.

The post Laurence Fishburne & A-List Celebs Celebrate Arthur Miller appeared first on Broadway Black.

Samuel L. Jackson, Leslie Odom Jr., Patina Miller, Brandon Victor Dixon, Latanya Richardson, Danielle Brooks, and the exquisite Cicely Tyson were among the many luminaries in attendance to honor the two-time Tony Award winner.

The 98th annual event recognized Jones for more than 50 years of exceptional theater work.  Known best for his trademark bass, Jones is one of the few artists who has received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony for his noteworthy performances, including his role as Darth Vader, one of the most notorious villains of all time.

“His presence is so indelible, his talent so immense, ” noted Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing.  “He’s managed to make some of his most memorable film roles without even showing his face.”

The Lion King’s Samuel E. Wright, Alton Fitzgerald White, L. Steven Taylor, Nathaniel Stampley and Rufus Bonds Jr. kicked off the celebration with a musical performance thanking Jones for originating the beloved role of Mufasa, which they each later reprised in the Broadway musical.

Norm Lewis, who previously played Javert in Les Miserables, dedicated his lovely rendition of “The Prayer” to the late Kyle Jean Baptiste, acknowledging that both of their opportunities were set in motion by pioneer Jones’ efforts. “That was all because of doors you opened.”

After being presented with the award by Star Wars co-star Jackson, Jones humbly thanked The Wing for their contributions to his artistic growth. “They taught us not to put ethnic or gender limits on the characters that we studied.  They taught us speech for Shakespeare, and speech for Arthur Miller, and speech for Tennessee Williams, and speech for George Lucas,” he affirmed graciously before concluding, “I can’t thank you enough, no matter how old I get.”

Jones can currently be seen with Ms. Tyson in The Gin Game at the Golden Theater through January 10, 2016.

#AboutLastNight #TheWingGala @patinamiller @normlewis777 @leslieodomjr @nicolettekloe @brandonvdixon @jamesearljones

A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 8:31am PDT

What a night fit for a legend. Congrats @JamesEarlJones! #AboutLastNight #TheWingGala #YouAreBroadwayBlack A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 8:24am PDT

Past & present Mufasas of Broadway’s @thelionking perform& honor the original film Mufasa @JamesEarlJones #5GuysNamedMufasa #TheWingGala #AboutLastNight

A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 7:49am PDT

@SamuelLJackson presenting @JamesEarlJones with #TheWingGala Honor #AboutLastNight A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 7:43am PDT

Of course @IAmCicelyTyson was in the building. #AboutLastNight #TheWingGala

A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 7:58am PDT

.@PatinaMiller gave us Simple Joys. @brandonvdixon let the good times roll & @NormLewiss777 Brought Us Home! #TheWingGala #AboutLastNight

A video posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 8:14am PDT

#AboutLastNight The stars of Hollywood came to support @JamesEarlJones as he was honored by The American Theatre Wing #TheWingGala

A photo posted by BroadwayBlack (@broadwayblack) on Sep 29, 2015 at 7:40am PDT

The post Broadway’s A-List Join American Theatre Wing to Honor James Earl Jones appeared first on Broadway Black.

Summers, who’s best known for creating and producing Off-Broadway’s From My Hometown: A Rag To Riches Celebration of the American Dream In Classic Rhythm & Blues, made his Broadway debut in the original production of Dreamgirls. Since then, he has appeared Off-Broadway in Miss Marguarita’s Way with Estelle Parsons, as an original cast member of From My Hometown, in the musical Little Ham, as well as in numerous cabaret and regional performances.

As a director, Summers has directed shows in venues ranging from New York’s Urban Stages, AMAS Musical Theatre, New World Stages, The Triad Theatre, Flushing Town Hall, Theatreworks in Palo Alto, CA, The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and many more.

A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway, where it won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. The American classic takes place in the late 1950’s on Chicago’s South Side, and revolves around the dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son “Walter Lee,” his wife “Ruth,” his sister “Beneatha,” his son “Travis,” and family matriarch “Lena,” called “Mama.”

The Harlem Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company based in the heart of Harlem in New York City, founded by Keith Lee Grant. The Harlem Repertory Theatre will run the play every Friday at 7pm until December 11th. The theatre’s resident acting company includes Mario C. Brown, Kyria Geneva, Mabel Gomez, Roberto A. Guzman Jr., Jarrid Jones, Bianca Madison, Derrick Montalvo, Eric “Le Roy” Myles, and Joe Sabateur.

For information on tickets and directions, visit www.harlemrepertorytheatre.com.

The first Broadway revival of the play ran at the Royale Theatre from April 26, 2004 to July 11, 2004. The cast included Sean Combs as “Walter Lee,” Phylicia Rashad as “Lena,” Audra McDonald as “Ruth,” and Sanaa Lathan as “Beneatha.” It was directed by Kenny Leon and received two Tony awards: Best Actress in a Play (Rashad) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (McDonald).

A second revival ran ten years later from April 3, 2014 to June 15, 2014 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with Denzel Washington in the lead role of “Walter Lee.” Other cast members included Sophie Okonedo as “Ruth,” LaTanya Richardson Jackson as “Lena,” and Anika Noni Rose as “Beneatha.” Leon again directed and the play won three 2014 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Play, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Okonedo) and Best Direction of a Play (Leon).

The post A Raisin in the Sun at Harlem Repertory Theatre appeared first on Broadway Black.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN

Keep your eyes glued to @BroadwayBlack for the rest of the day as we honor #LorraineHansberry and her CLASSIC play #ARaisinInTheSun.

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

On this day in #BroadwayBlackHistory, in 1959 — Lorraine Hansberry’s classic #ARaisinInTheSun opened on Broadway. pic.twitter.com/VCABzIJEZG

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

The 1959 production of #ARaisinInTheSun starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands & @GlynnTurman. pic.twitter.com/ep1oxFSyjk

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

#ARaisinInTheSun marked the first time a play written by, and directed by a Black person, and about Black people was produced on #Broadway.

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

The New York Drama Critics’ Circle named #ARaisinInTheSun the best play of 1959.

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

#ARaisinInTheSun was nom’d in 4 categories at @TheTonyAwards in ’60. Best Play, Best Actor & Actress in a Play, Best Direction of a Play.

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

In 1961 a film version of #ARaisinInTheSun feat. the original Broadway cast was released. Hansberry wrote the script. pic.twitter.com/ruZnm0evK3

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

A musical version of #ARaisinInTheSun starring @JOEtheMORTON & @MsDebbieAllen took #Broadway by storm in 1973. pic.twitter.com/C25Ad4nxX3

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

#PhyliciaRashad, @AudraEqualityMc, & @justSanaa starred in a ’04 revival directed by @iamKENNYLEON. #ARaisinInTheSun. pic.twitter.com/BJKeVDi6Tj

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

#DenzelWashington, @AnikaNoniRose, #SophieOkonedo star in new @iamKENNYLEON-directed revival (’14). #ARaisinInTheSun. pic.twitter.com/u6Y1GEJNPu

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

The revival of #ARaisinInTheSun won Best Revival of a Play at @TheTonyAwards in 2014. Look at @AnikaNoniRose BEAMING! pic.twitter.com/K4HaueFEu1

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

#PhyliciaRashad is the 1st Black actress to win as Best Actress (Play) at @TheTonyAwards for #ARaisinInTheSun in ’04. pic.twitter.com/tOu85VHwu2

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 11, 2015

.@iamKENNYLEON took home his 1st Tony for Best Direction of a Play at @TheTonyAwards in 2014. #ARaisinInTheSun. pic.twitter.com/5Mki8GiBqq

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 12, 2015

#SophieOkonedo took home the Actress in a Featured Role medallion at @TheTonyAwards in 2014. #ARaisinInTheSun. pic.twitter.com/6HHsFxjL08

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 12, 2015

Thank you #LorraineHansberry, for your timeless classic #ARaisinInTheSun. We love and honor you today and everyday. pic.twitter.com/ZeR1WVlPXC

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 12, 2015

The post On Today: A Raisin In The Sun Opened On Broadway appeared first on Broadway Black.

Through Residency Five and Signature Theatre, Regina’s first offering will be a play titled, “stop. reset.” 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Regina about “stop. reset.” and her residency at Signature Theatre. She shared that in her play, we follow ‘Alex Ames,’ the owner of Chicago’s oldest African-American book publishing company, on a day in which he is conducting interviews with all of his employees in an effort to see where he can “cut the fat.” In this constantly advancing technology-based generation, ‘Alex’ is forced to take stock of the publishing company he runs, as e-books seem to threaten to knock him out of the game. In an effort to keep his business afloat, he decides to interview his workers to see which of them are obsolete as he figures out how to adapt to the changing landscape. ‘Alex’ meets tech-savvy 19 year-old ‘J,’ a janitor at his company. ‘J’ is the youngest employee, by far, and from there the wheels begin to turn.

Regina informed me that identity is the central theme to “stop. reset.” and that she is honored to have had the opportunity to create this piece especially for Signature Theatre, in an attempt at drawing audiences with a story that “lives both on stage and online.” Over at StopReset.com the dialogue surrounding the play continues.When asked how her Blackness influenced her work, she made it clear that it wasn’t the sole influencing descriptor, and that it, coupled with her being female among other things influences her work because she “writes with (her) whole self.” She also talked about the group of actors cast to give life to her words, and beamed about how they reflect “the community I walk in,” what with them being African-American, Asian-American, white, Latino, etc.

I asked Regina how involved she was with the casting process and whether she liked it or not. She replied that as the writer and director the piece she is very hands on with the casting process, and enjoys it. The cast of “stop. reset.” includes Carl Lumbly (‘Jitney,’ TV’s’ ‘Alias’ and ‘Cagney and Lacey’), LaTanya Richardson Jackson (‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,’ ‘The Fighting Temptations’), Teagle Bougere (‘Wings,’ ‘A Raisin in the Sun’), and Ismael Cruz-Cordova (‘Sesame Street’).

“stop. reset.” is set to begin previews at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre (at Signature Theatre) on August 20th, open officially on September 8th, and run (for now) until September 29th! This is a must see show! Make some time to head to the theatre and see this piece.

The post In Conversation: With Regina Taylor, Award-Winning Playwright And Actress appeared first on Broadway Black.