Denzel Washington’s son was instrumental his newest Broadway look.
On the ESSENCE Black Ladies in Hollywood Awards, Othello co-producer Kandi Burruss tells PEOPLE how John David Washington helped usher the celebrated actor to a job within the upcoming manufacturing. Directed by Kenny Leon, the revival of the Williams Shakespeare tragedy — which additionally stars Jake Gyllenhaal — started previews on Feb. 24 on the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York Metropolis, and is ready to open on March 23.
The primary conversations with Denzel about Othello got here throughout manufacturing on the 2022 revival of The Piano Lesson. The August Wilson play, which follows two siblings preventing over their household’s ancestral piano, starred John David. Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker — who collectively are co-producers for Othello behind lead producer Brian Anthony Moreland — additionally helped produce The Piano Lesson.
“We’d see Denzel round that point, and that is when Brian and Denzel initiated the dialog,” Burruss says.
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Othello sees Denzel star because the titular character, joined by Gyllenhaal because the scheming Iago and Molly Osborne as Othello’s spouse Desdemona. Andrew Burnap, Anthony Michael Lopez, Daniel Pearce, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Neal Bledsoe, Julee Cerda, Ezra Knight, Gene Gillette and Rob Heaps fill out the solid. Ty Fanning, Ben Graney, Christina Sajous, Greg Wooden and Sarah Thorn comprise the ensemble.
Even in previews, Burruss shares that Othello has garnered tons of help. In reality, with seats reportedly promoting as excessive as $921, the present has already damaged field workplace information, grossing $2.8 million alone final week — greater than any play has ever made in 7 days on Broadway.
“We’re very grateful from the help from the followers, and imagine me: Jake, Denzel, all of the individuals within the present, they’re right here to deliver it and you’ll not be dissatisfied,” Burruss tells PEOPLE.
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The Grammy winner can also be hopeful Othello is the manufacturing that secures her the Tony Award
“I am praying. However you already know, I pray each time,” says Burruss, who additionally produced final 12 months’s revival of The Wiz. “Each time you need to go into it feeling like, ‘That is the one,’ you already know? I will communicate it into existence.”
Tickets for Othello are now on sale. The restricted run is presently scheduled to shut on Sunday, June 8.
