The new staging began performances May 6 and opened at the Royale Theatre, June 1.
Set in 1950's apartheid-stricken Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Master Harold centers on the longtime relationship between a 17-year-old white boy and the two middle-aged black men who are servants at his parents' St. Georges Park Tea Room. On a rainy afternoon, Sam and Willie practice their ballroom dancing at work when the young man enters and sets off a storm of fond memories and scholarly debate while underlying racial and class tensions brew.
Lonny Price (Urban Cowboy, A Class Act) directed the revival starring Michael Boatman, Christopher Denham and Danny Glover. The design team includes John Lee Beatty (sets), Jane Greenwood (costumes), Peter Kaczorowski (lights) and Brian Ronan (sound).
The Fugard work debuted on Broadway May 4, 1982, starring Price as the title character with Zakes Mokae and Danny Glover as the servants. This time around, Glover plays the older servant Sam while Boatman takes on the younger servant Willie and newcomer Denham fills the title role Hally.
Glover has appeared in such film as "Places in the Heart," "Witness," "The Color Purple," "The Lethal Weapon" series, "Angels in the Outfield" and "Beloved." Glover also starred to in the film version of Athol Fugard's play Boesman and Lena, opposite Angela Bassett. Boatman is best known for his simultaneous turns on television's "Spin City" and HBO's "Arli$$." His theatre credits include The Glass Menagerie in San Francisco and Tiny Mommy at Playwright's Horizons.
Denham makes his New York debut in Master Harold. He has authored six plays including In Film, Rapist James, The Last Penitente, and The Haven Trilogy as well as two novels, "The Bellringers" and "At the Spike."
Price also directed this season's Urban Cowboy. Other directorial credits include Visiting Mr. Green, Grown Ups, The Rothschilds, Juno and the Ed Kleban musical A Class Act, which he co-wrote. As an actor, he appeared in A Class Act, Merrily We Roll Along, Burn This, and as the hotel owner's nerdy grandson in the film "Dirty Dancing."
