The Public Theater is moving yet another production to Broadway. After the Best Musical winner Fun Home and (the likely Best Musical winner) Hamilton, the company is bringing their Off-Broadway play Eclipsed to the main stem.
The Public Theater engagement will conclude on November 29th. It's star, recent Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, will transfer with the production. The Broadway production will have its first preview on February 23, 2016 at the Golden Theatre. Opening night is set for March 6th, with a strictly limited run of 17 weeks.
Eclipsed is written by Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead's Michonne) and directed by Liesl Tommy. The play centers on a group of women being held captive during the Liberian civil war. The entire cast from the Public; which includes Saycon Sengbloh (Hair, Fela!), Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, and Zainab Jah, will transfer with the production.
The Public now finds itself in a unique Tony position. It has a contender in both the Best Musical and Best Play races. Could it nab both top prizes?
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While we knew Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's musical Bright Star was showing up sometime this season, the team has finally announced official dates and cast information.
Following a winter run at the Kennedy Center, Bright Star will begin previews on March 7th with a March 31st opening (which, in case anyone wants to get me some tickets, happens to be this theatre nerd's birthday). The show will fill a Shubert house to be announced at a later date.
Tony winner Walter Bobbie will direct with Josh Rhodes as choreographer. After starring in the premiere at The Old Globe, Carmen Cusack will repeat her performance in her Broadway debut. The rest of the cast features: Paul Alexander Nolan, A.J. Shively, Dee Hoty, Stephen Lee Anderson, Emily Padgett, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Michael X. Martin, William Michals, Tony Roach, and William Youmans.
