Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Brooks star in Broadway revival of 'The Piano Lesson'
The late August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "The Piano Lesson," will return to Broadway in September and award-winning actors Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Brooks are set to star.
The groundbreaking play, which debuted in 1990, will be directed by actress and Tony Award nominee Latanya Richardson Jackson, marking the first time ever an August Wilson play will be led by a woman.
"August Wilson dedicated his life and devoted his talent to dramatizing our stories and our experience," Richardson Jackson said. "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."
As the fourth play as part of Wilson's seminal American Century Cycle, the drama follows a brother and sister who "are locked in a war over the fate of a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their ancestors."
Producers Brian Anthony Moreland (Thoughts of a Colored Man) Sonia Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and Tom Kirdahy (Hadestown) said, "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."
Brooks celebrated the announcement on Instagram, writing: "Broadway I’m baaacckkkk! So grateful to @ltjackson_ for this opportunity. To get to play with the GOAT @samuelljackson and the Uber talented @johndavidwashington it’s a wrap!!"
"Can’t wait to share this beautiful story by August Wilson with the world and to share why this story in particular means so much to me," she added.
Performances begin Sept. 19 at the St. James Theatre.
