By Mark Shenton
21 Nov 2009
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| James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester and Sanaa Lathan |
The 2008 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, which featured an African-American cast led by James Earl Jones as Big Daddy and Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama, begins performances Nov. 21 at the West End's Novello Theatre, prior to an official opening Dec. 1, for a limited run to April 10. Jones and Rashad reprise their roles.
Also in the cast are British actor Adrian Lester replacing Terrence Howard as Brick, while Broadway's Sanaa Lathan (Tony Award-nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in the 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun) replaces Anika Noni Rose as Maggie. The company also features Richard Blackwood (Brightie), Derek Griffiths (Reverend Tookie), Nina Sosanya (Mae), Guy Burgess (Lacey), Claudia Cadette (Nanny), Peter De Jersey (Gooper), Susan Lawson-Reynolds (Sookey) and Joseph Mydell (Doctor Baugh). They are joined by Yvonne Gidden who will understudy Big Mama.
When this production opened at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre in 2008, it marked the first time that an African-American cast had appeared in the Williams play on Broadway. In a statement, its Broadway producer Stephen C. Byrd commented, "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof has been revived on Broadway four times before; this production marks the first African-American production approved by Williams estate for the Broadway stage. This revival of Cat is not only making Broadway history, it is making American theatre and black theatre history too!"
Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958, and has appeared in numerous plays there, including winning the Tony Award twice, for The Great White Hope in 1968 and Fences in 1987, as well as playing the title role of Othello (Winter Garden Theatre, 1982) opposite Christopher Plummer as Iago. He has also appeared in Master Harold and the Boys, Of Mice and Men and the Iceman Cometh. Prior to starring in the 2008 production of Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, he appeared in a 2005 revival of On Golden Pond. He is widely known as the voice of Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. On TV, he has played the older version of author Alex Haley in the TV mini-series "Roots: The Next Generation"; screen roles include appearances in "Conan the Barbarian," "Field of Dreams," "Cry, the Beloved Country," "The Hunt for Red October," "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger".
Lathan, who made her Broadway debut in the 2004 revival of A Raisin in the Sun opposite Rashad in a cast that also featured Sean Combs and Audra McDonald, played Michelle Landau in the TV series "Nip/Tuck" and starred on film in "Out of Time," opposite Denzel Washington.
Lester's extensive stage pedigree includes playing Rosalind in Declan Donnellan's 1991 Cheek by Jowl production of As You Like It; starring as Bobby in Sam Mendes' Donmar Warehouse production of Sondheim and Furth's Company that subsequently transferred to the West End, and won him the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1996; playing the title role in Peter Brook's 2001 production of Hamlet that toured internationally; and playing the title role in Nicholas Hytner's 2003 production of Henry V at the National Theatre. On screen, he has starred in the film "Primary Colors" opposite John Travolta, and the BBC TV series "Hustle" and "Bonekickers."
Blackwood's stage credits include Roy Williams' Angel House and The Unexpected Guest, which both toured nationally and The Brothers at the Hackney Empire. As well as his own show for Channel 4, Blackwood's television credits include "Britannia High," "Dani's House," "Shoot The Messenger," "Little Miss Jocelyn" and "Holby." He is a regular at the Comedy Store in the West End and presents his own radio programme on Choice FM.
Griffiths' extensive theatre credits include The Miser, The Odd Couple, The Government Inspector, Nude with Violin and Loot, all for the Royal Exchange Theatre; Peter Pan, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Run for Your Wife and Noises Off, all in the West End; and Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company. On television his credits include "Doctors," "Holby City," "Casualty," "Queen's Park Story" and "Insect Antics." His film credits "Gallowwalker" and "Fierce Creatures."
Sosanya's theatre credits include Love's Labours Lost for the Royal Shakespeare Company in which she played Rosalind and Fix Up for the National Theatre. Previously she was seen in The Vortex at the Donmar Warehouse and House and Garden for the National Theatre. Her television credits include "Framed," "Cape Wrath" and "Doctor Who." On film her credits include "Manderlay," "Code 46" and "Love Actually."
Director Debbie Allen made her Broadway directorial debut with this production, but she has previously appeared there as a two-times Tony nominated star of the 1980 revival of West Side Story and the 1996 revival of Sweet Charity, and also choreographed the notorious flop musical version of Carrie. She is best known for playing Lydia Grant in the original film and TV series of "Fame." While still a cast member of the latter, she became the first African American woman hired by a TV network as a director in prime time. She has directed television and film including "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" featuring Will Smith, "A Different World," "Girlfriends," "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "Family Ties." For over a decade, Allen has written, choreographed and directed commissioned theatre productions annually for The Kennedy Center.
Produced by Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones for Front Row Productions, set designs are by Morgan Large with costume designs by Fay Fullerton, lighting by David Holmes, sound by Richard Brooker and original music by Andrew "Tex" Allen.
To book tickets, contact the box office on 0844 482 5170, or visit www.catwestend.com
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| Cat On a Hot Tin Roof stars Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester, Sanaa Lathan and James Earl Jones
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