August wilson denzel washington6/7/2023 ![]() ![]() There is still considerable talk that the play, long rumored for cinematic treatment, may now find its way to the local multiplex. In fact, the grand popular success of the revival made even Hollywood pay attention to Broadway again. Combine a great play with star power and the potential to attract traditional and non-traditional (not white) audiences and the payoff is enormous. ![]() Even day-of-show cancellations fetched more than $400 per ticket. Originating from director Kenny Leon's nascent production at Boston's distinguished Huntington Theatre in 2009, it was recast, ostensibly for star power, due to the fact that there were no "names" attached to the Boston production.ĭespite less-than-consistent critical encomiums in its Broadway reincarnation, the production sold out-a rare feat for a serious, straight play on Broadway, especially one that focuses on the African American experience. The latest contemporary incarnation was revered less for the celebrity in the audience than for the star power on stage: Hollywood visitors Denzel Washington and Viola Davis played the lead roles. Perhaps the most popularly successful of August Wilson's plays, Fences, enjoyed a notable vogue in its first Broadway revival since the original production in 1987 that starred James Earl Jones. ![]()
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