It was stars onstage and off March 23 as Othello opened at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Kenny Leon-helmed revival boasts Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in the cast. The opening night audience included A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, Angela Bassett, Martha Stewart, and even former President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden. It was easily one of the starrier opening nights in recent memory.
The Bidens' visit to the new production flew somewhat under the radar—neither walked the red carpet. But luckily, Jill Biden captured their special visit on her Instagram Stories, calling the production "Riveting...Brilliant...Bravo!"
Also on hand to celebrate: Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Nettles, Rosie Perez, Brandee Evans, Christine Baranski, Blair Underwood, Spike Lee, Ariana DeBose, Corey Hawkins, Samuel L. Jackson, Sherri Shepherd, Deborah Cox, Keegan-Michael Key, Anna Wintour, Colman Domingo, Al Roker, Cynthia Nixon, Siedah Garrett, Gayle King, Danielle Brooks, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Liev Schreiber, Tony Shalhoub, and many more.
See more shots from the starry celebration in the gallery below.
Washington leads the Shakespeare tragedy in the title role with Gyllenhaal as Iago. Read what critics are saying about the production here.
Click here to purchase the limited edition opening night Playbill for Othello.
They are joined by Molly Osborne as Desdemona, Andrew Burnap as Cassio, Anthony Michael Lopez as Roderigo, Daniel Pearce as Brabantio, Kimber Elayne Sprawl as Emilia, Neal Bledsoe as The Duke of Venice, Julee Cerda as Bianca, Ezra Knight as Montano, Gene Gillette as Gratiano, and Rob Heaps as Ludovico. The ensemble comprises William Connell, Ty Fanning, Ben Graney, Daniel Reece, Christina Sajous, Sarah Thorn, and Greg Wood, with swing Abiola Obatolu rounding out the company. Casting is by Duncan Stewart and Jarrett Reiche of ARC.
Shakespeare is, of course, never far from Broadway, though this revival is the first Broadway staging of the tragedy since a 1982 revival starring James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. The classic play follows its title character, a Moorish military commander who falls victim to a psychological campaign from adversary Iago, aimed at turning him against his new wife, Desdemona.
The production features scenic design by two-time Tony winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony winner Dede Ayite, lighting design by eight-time Tony winner Natasha Katz, sound design by Obie Award winner Justin Ellington, hair and wig design by Emmy winner Mia Neal, intimacy direction by Claire Warden, and production stage management by Narda E. Alcorn.
The production's lead producer is Brian Anthony Moreland. He's previously received four Tony Award nominations, for The Piano Lesson, American Buffalo, The Sound Inside, and Sea Wall/A Life (co-starring Gyllenhaal).
Visit OthelloBway.com.
