Meet the Cast and Creatives – See Photos and Video – –
By Melissa Griegel . . .
Arthur Miller’s American masterpiece Death of Salesman will be returning to the Broadway stage this fall, this time telling the classic from the perspective of a Black family. The critically-acclaimed West End run at London’s Young Vic Theatre garnered the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Direction for directors Miranda Cromwell and Marianne Elliott, a Best Actress win for Sharon D. Clarke and Best Actor nomination for Wendell Pierce. Clarke and Pierce will be reprising their roles as Linda and Willy Loman on Broadway at the Hudson theater with previews beginning September 17th, and an opening date set for October 9th. The 17-week limited engagement will end January 15th, 2023.
Broadway legend André De Shields will play Ben Loman, Willy’s brother. Khris Davis and McKinley Belcher III, who starred together in The Royale, will play Willy’s sons Biff and Happy. The cast is rounded out with Blake DeLong, Lynn Hawley, Grace Porter, Kevin Ramessar, Stephen Stocking, Chelsea Lee Williams, and Delaney Williams. Cindy Tolan is the lead producer, and Miranda Cromwell returns to her directing role, this time as sole director.
The cast is excited to be retelling the story of a family struggling to achieve the American dream from the perspective of an African American family. “This was a dream I didn’t even know I had,” said Wendell Pierce. “I never imagined that one day I would be able to play Willy Loman on Broadway.” That sentiment was echoed by the rest of the cast. “I am excited about playing Ben in Death of a Salesman, not because it changes the story, but because for the first time commercially, the Loman family is Black,” André De Shields added, “That means, that for the first time, Arthur Miller’s gigantic dramatic piece is going to be turned inside-out. The theme of the play is the excessive cruelty of the American Dream. What better way to answer that conundrum than asking that of a family who is traditionally marginalized to the edges of that dream. Now we are going to get that perspective of a family for whom that dream is not accessible.”
Sharon D. Clarke is excited to see the reaction of the Broadway audiences. After performing in numerous West End productions, she made her debut on Broadway in Caroline, or Change! Of her part in Death of a Salesman, Clarke said, “It’s just wonderful. It’s a classic piece that I thought I would never have the opportunity to play that role in.” In discussing the difference between acting in London versus New York, Clarke added, “British audiences are much more conservative (in the West End). Broadway audiences let you know all the way through what they are feeling.”
Director Miranda Cromwell added her thoughts on the topic. “Broadway is very different in the most amazing ways. It’s such a huge team that you get to work with here. So many incredible artists bringing their own unique vision.” She also discussed how the casting affects the story line. “It considers this family inside the racial prism of America at this time, and I think in that way, it is really and truly unique. That gives people a moment to pause often and to re-think the play that they think they know so well. Because when you start to think about it through that lens, I immediately can hear my dad and his voice, and because of opening up in this way that would not have previously resonated in this way. It’s all about representation.”
Photos/Video Interviews by Melissa Griegel
