At the curtain call for the January 12 evening performance of the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman, Wendell Pierce surprised co-star André De Shields with a 24-layer chocolate cake in honor of the Tony winner's 77th birthday.
The cake, made by The Strip House, was brought out by McKinley Belcher III along with a "Birthday King" sash and crown. With the audience's help, they sang "Happy Birthday" to the Broadway veteran. Check out photos from the birthday surprise below.
Wendell Pierce and the cast of Death of a Salesman celebrate André De Shields during curtain call
André De Shields and Sharon D Clarke at curtain call of Death of Salesman
André De Shields and company celebrate his birthday at curtain call of Death of Salesman
McKinley Belcher III holding a birthday cake celebrating André De Shields birthday at curtain call of Death of Salesman
André De Shields celebrated his birthday at curtain call of Death of Salesman
De Shields' birthday is the latest onstage celebration at Death of a Salesman, which honored Pierce with a similar birthday surprise last month.
The revival continues on Broadway through January 15 at the Hudson Theatre.
The revival of the Arthur Miller drama about a traveling salesman and his family who are caught up in the madness (and, oftentimes, impossibility) of the American Dream transferred from the West End. Olivier nominee Pierce and Olivier winner Sharon D. Clarke reprise their roles of Linda and Willy Loman, respectively, with Khris Davis as Biff, McKinley Belcher III as Happy, and Tony winner De Shields as Ben with Blake DeLong as Howard/Stanley, Lynn Hawley as The Woman/Jenny, Grace Porter as Letta/Jazz Singer, Kevin Ramessar as Musician, Stephen Stocking as Bernard, Chelsea Lee Williams as Miss Forsythe, and Delaney Williams as Charley.
Miranda Cromwell directs with a creative team that also includes Olivier winner and Tony-nominated scenic and co-costume designer Anna Fleischle, co-costume designer Sarita Fellows, Tony-nominated lighting designer Jen Schriever, Tony-nominated sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman, composer Femi Temowo, hair designer Nikiya Mathis, and music coordinator John Miller. Casting is by Erica A. Hart and Daniel Swee.
Upon its 1949 Broadway premiere, the show took home six Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Author of a Play. Miller's show has bene revived on Broadway four times; it was last seen on the Main Stem in a 2012 revival starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Linda Emond, Andrew Garfield, Finn Wittrock, and John Glover.
