Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A blockbuster production of the Shakespeare tragedy might boast Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal but it’s sparked a debate over excessive pricing How much would you pay to be in the same room as Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal Is that price in the mid-hundreds of dollars And would you double it to nearly a thousand for a slightly better seat Read moreHigh prices have been part of the Broadway scene in particular for ages and it’s not just Broadway where prospective event attendees are feeling ticket sticker shock As far down the event totem pole as movie tickets you can find extensive complaints about how much of an expensive rip-off they are compared with staying home and streaming something on Netflix going out has always cost more than staying home and watching TV – and if you actually like going to the movies more than you like complaining about prices several theater chains now offer subscription services that bring the average per-movie spend way down Pay $20-25 a month or so (depending on your location) and you can see 10-30 movies (depending on the subscription) Suddenly a weekly trip to the multiplex can cost as little as $5 despite the persistent cruelty of Ticketmaster and the rigged pestilence of the “resale market” there are some ridiculously overpriced VIP packages to see Beyoncé on tour this spring the kind of deluxe non-deal where you can spend the price of two plane tickets to Paris for a decent seat shorter merch lines and a plastic laminate But there are also plenty of seats available for well under $200 lacking thousands of screens or arena-sized venues And they’re not necessarily incorrect to do so; true enough that audiences are paying for something that’s harder to replicate at home The live-theater energy can certainly pay off for the crowd even if they’re not witnessing a new stone-cold classic without turning into an open-ended quagmire a company with the goal of making live theatrical productions more accessible it sounds as if the stripped-down nature of the project (which will include readings as well as fully productions) might also strip away some of the Broadway-production bombast that keeps prices high no slouch in the stardom department himself Producers are charging north of nine hundred dollars for orchestra seats norm-busting event pricing that somehow drives demand; the sidewalk outside buzzes with excitement As the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks squabble over Cyprus in the background the men before us quarrel over everything—a woman a Moor who fights for Venice: Iago’s missed out on a promotion and he also half believes a rumor that Othello has seduced his wife His hatred devours all but his capacity to lie and plot; “I am not what I am,” he says Iago turns his sights to ruining Othello’s new wife You need energy and clarity to make “Othello” work—to make the language sing and to propel the deceptions forward—especially because the vicious Iago hasn’t got an actual goal just an appetite for chaos and a ready little knife and the vibe is mild depression: a pre-show projection reading “The Near Future” doesn’t turn out to be particularly useful (Dede Ayite dresses the soldiers in de-rigueur fatigues Iago hurls racist abuse behind Othello’s back “I am black and have not those soft parts of conversation that chamberers have,” he says to himself The casting choices might raise a whole host of interesting questions about how this Venice reflects our own time Leon and Washington have had triumphs together namely the Broadway productions of August Wilson’s “Fences,” in 2010 and Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” in 2014 Leon turned his eye for behavior to prop-heavy naturalism there’s very little reality in his direction—Emilia switches randomly among the jobs of lady’s maid for instance—and too few people look at one another when they talk makes a point of facing the people he’s bamboozling jabbing his hand at them as if he could drive his lies in by force largely because they seem like they’re in conversation if there are more than a handful of actors onstage they drift into a half circle the Othello that might have been: he charges in tucking his white shirt into his blue trousers and here is his Don Pedro from “Much Ado About Nothing” (the Kenneth Branagh film from 1993) As long as he’s joshing with other soldiers Washington’s touch with the verse is casual The trouble hits when he greets his “soul’s joy,” Desdemona—who is dressed in a series of Political Wife pants suits—and exhibits only a faint Othello is supposed to be “declined into the vale of years,” but Washington moves past what might be a portrait of an overtaxed old general into apathy reciting his lines without notable crescendo or feeling Washington puts Osborne into a weary headlock Othello is often found sitting on this bed Watching Washington’s gotta-take-a-load-off finish reminded me of his most recent Broadway performance in 2018—as Hickey in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh,” another presumed cuckold who Wolfe had Washington conclude the play sitting in a chair at center stage As in “Othello,” he stopped engaging with the cast around him Maybe Washington just doesn’t like blocking My suspicion is that a director in a rehearsal room looking at the megastar as he runs his lines If only people could experience what we see here without necessarily calculating the difference between that small room and a Broadway house the theatre really cannot afford to waste a chance with Washington like this he’s started hinting in interviews about retirement that he has been talking about a film of “Othello.” I can see it in my mind’s eye already—his magnificently tired face filling a screen where we can finally see the flickers of waning nobility and waxing madness There are still bargains to be had this week in live theatre no-frills space called Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre you can pay fifty dollars and get a “Friday Night Lights”-inflected synthwave-musical retelling of Homer’s Iliad performed by a joyfully committed ensemble “The Trojans,” written and composed by the hugely gifted Leegrid Stevens and directed by Eric Paul Vitale is that rara avis: a gorgeously produced downtown epic somehow both trash-based (the costume designer has made football armor out of knee-pad inserts rich in the way that theatre is meant to be rich—with imagination something seems odd: the addresses all list places like Parthenon The glum workers pushing their hydraulic carts and listening to a tinny boom box perk up the moment someone mentions the “old days,” when their town resounded with the rivalry between two high-school football teams the workers are reënacting the run-up to a long-ago homecoming game—way back in the nineteen-eighties as the teen-agers drive their cars—those same hydraulic carts weaving only inches from the audience—toward disaster Paris is the coy Daris (Arya Grace Gaston) and the doomed hero Achilles has become the grim-faced Trojan running back Keeley (Erin Treadway who refuses to take the field after Johnny utters a fatal insult Stevens has slyly flipped the sides in Homer’s poem but we’re not here for a one-to-one narrative mapping of a Bronze Age tragedy we’ve come for the same reason that scouts go to high-school football finals: to see stunning talents like Casey and Treadway before everyone else hears about them and to get back in touch with our love of the game A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. Burruss co-produced the Broadway revival of 'Othello' with husband Todd Tucker A tsunami of surprise nominations and a Hollywood wipeout Zachary Stewart Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal are both A-list Hollywood actors who regularly make appearances on Broadway. The former is already a Tony winner (for Fences), while the latter was nominated for Sea Wall/A Life in 2020. They’re both starring in one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, the revival of Shakespeare’s Othello which boasted an average paid admission of $374.17 last week The show announced its recoupment this morning at 9:54am — and that will have to be its own reward because neither man was nominated for a 2025 Tony Award this morning Othello was shut out of this year’s nominations, shocking not one critic who saw the mediocre revival, but perhaps adding insult to injury for the people who paid $897 a ticket Glengarry Glen Ross another starry revival raking it in at the box office was also largely shunned by the nominators Only Bob Odenkirk was nominated in the Featured Actor category with nothing for Bill Burr or Kieran Culkin whose quest to place a Tony on his mantle next to his newly minted Oscar (for A Real Pain) ended today Good Night, and Good Luck the third play breaking box office records this season fared better with five nominations: all four design categories (though not direction) and George Clooney for Best Actor in a Leading Role It was not nominated in the Best Play category which this year actually comprises the five best plays to appear on Broadway this season Clooney is the only big household name actor to make it into the Leading Actor in a Play category, with Robert Downey Jr. also excluded for his Broadway debut in McNeal the nominators did remember Mia Farrow in the now-closed two-hander The Roommate which she starred in opposite Patti LuPone (not nominated) although all three shows received multiple nominations in other categories Also totally snubbed: Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends which stars Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga (she really should have been nominated for her Mrs the show is a revue of Sondheim’s greatest hits And why give a Tony to old friends when there are so many new ones to consider While I didn’t much love Pirates! The Penzance Musical I expected it to do better than the one nomination it did receive That means no nominations for its three stars I was disappointed to see that Helen J Shen was not nominated for her powerful performance in Maybe Happy Ending which received 10 total nominations and is the frontrunner for Best Musical But she’s a genuine star and I have no doubt that we’ll see her on a list of nominees in the future Two Tony-winning veteran directors, Susan Stroman (Smash) and George C. Wolfe (Gypsy), were left out of the Best Direction of a Musical category. The exclusion of Stroman is a real surprise, since her direction is really the main thing holding that messy Franken-musical together But sometimes the nominators overlook essential elements. That’s certainly the case with Sunset Blvd. and Lead Actors (Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis) But there was no nomination for Nathan Amzi & Joe Ransom whose video design is crucial to the storytelling Video design does not have its own category at the Tonys so they would have been considered under scenic design; and since the stage of the St I suspect the nominators were hesitant to include Sunset when there are so many big moving parts in other productions I was also surprised by the exclusion of Heather Gilbert from the Lighting Design of a Musical category. Her work on Dead Outlaw is finely calibrated and stunning making it feel like the ghosts of the past are emerging from the shadows of memory it’s the most outrageous snub of the season But the nominators were spoiled for choice this year: 14 new musicals, 14 new plays, seven play revivals, and seven musical revivals. Only one Broadway theater is vacant right now (but won’t be come May 24) with an untold number of productions waiting to rush in when one of the above-mentioned shows inevitably announces its closing there’s no question that Broadway is back with a vengeance even if your favorite actor won’t win a Tony in June Click here for a full list of nominees. The musical opens at the Imperial Theatre on April 10 Get the best deals and latest updates on theater and shows by signing up for TheaterMania's newsletter today Tickets are available right here on Broadway.com! Get tickets to Othello Denzel Washington is the most lauded stage and screen actor of his generation His unforgettable performances have garnered him two Academy Awards He received his first Academy Award for the historical war drama Glory (1989) and his second for the crime drama Training Day (2001) he has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Cry Freedom (1987) and August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences in which he reprised his Tony Award-winning role opposite Viola Davis. Most recently he was nominated for an Academy Award for Roman J Other notable credits include A Soldier’s Story (1984) Washington’s professional acting career began in New York where he performed in theatre productions such as Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and Othello He rose to fame when he landed the role of Dr Phillip Chandler in the NBC long-running hit television series St he was selected as the recipient of the Cecil B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards Kimber Elayne Sprawl | Carianne Older/Theatrely I recently sat down with Sprawl to chat about her connection to The Bard and her love of the New York Public Library Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity All photos are by Carianne Older/Theatrely Theatrely: How are things going over at the Barrymore Theater like the crowds are bigger than I've ever seen I think I've always appreciated poetry and words in general And of course Shakespeare has my utmost respect; no one does it like him I just wanted to get my hands on meaty material and he really worked into me that if you want to be a good actor you need to study Shakespeare — he really got me into it as I was going through your theatrical career you've only done musicals on Broadway and then this season you've done two plays What is it like jumping into the world of plays to say the least; a completely different world It's something that I've wanted for a while I've done musical theater pretty much all my life and it's all I did here in New York And I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where you just want a new challenge I wanted to just have the opportunity to learn how to develop a character solely with my words and my thoughts And so I've just been really embracing just how different it is you get in the room with everyone and Kenny It took me hours to even say hello to Denzel because I was so nervous and I just remember being really excited with Kenny What he said that sticks out to me the most was we're gonna find our truth We're going to find the truth and we're going to stand in it We're going to take these words and make them our own so that we can affect people and what's going on right now How do you take a text that's hundreds of years old and make it for an audience in 2025 And the fact that it was written 400 years ago and I can say something and people know exactly what I mean; I think that's the beautiful thing about humanity That's the beautiful thing about Shakespeare because she's usually played by a white woman I just felt like I had so much to expand within the text because I was just able to put my experiences as a black woman onto this and bring a fresh perspective I think it's just about just telling the truth So I think it's just about taking his words and being true to the language Is there another Shakespeare play you'd love to tackle next you requested we shoot at the New York Public Library Tell me about why that space is so important to you my first Broadway show was Beautiful: The Carole King Musical so I spent a lot of time at the library just It was just sort of my go-to because I just And it was a great place for me to just be I think I chose it specifically for us because a big reason why I was able to tackle this audition was because of the preparation I did before no matter if this is your seventh Broadway show or like Denzel who is 70 years old with decades of experience the discovery is the most important and like you have to use your resources When you think back on Othello in the next twenty what do you wanna remember most about this time right now I think I want to remember that I rose to the occasion but I really put myself out there and stepped out of my comfort zone Not every show is going to give you a big challenge not every show’s going to give you as many eyes on it as this project The valuable thing is the work that you put into it One of the most important quotes Jay told me was that he says some of the most brilliant work he’s ever done I’m really proud of the work that I did here Kobi Kassal founded Theatrely (formerly Theatre Talk Boston) while attending Boston University He is an avid theatre attender and can be found seeing a performance most nights of the week (in normal times!) He is interested in the cross section of theatre and interviews of theatre across the globe from Broadway to London and everywhere in between Your one-stop shop for the latest information in arts and culture by the next generation which has come under fire for exceptionally high ticket prices has crossed the profitability line in spite of its shut-out at the Tony Awards Broadway's newest revival of Othello has officially recouped which opened at the Barrymore Theatre March 23 began previews February 24. The revival has recouped its initial investment after just nine weeks on Broadway due in large part to its exceptionally high ticket prices which have drawn attention since before the production even began performing READ: How to Get Tickets to Broadway's Othello That Aren't $900 it broke the weekly record for top-grossing week for a play in Broadway history READ: 'It’s the Wars Now': Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal on Why Their Othello Is Made for Today Shakespeare is, of course, never far from Broadway, though this revival is the first Broadway staging of the tragedy since a 1982 revival starring James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer The classic play follows its title character a Moorish military commander who falls victim to a psychological campaign from adversary Iago and production stage management by Narda E The production's lead producer is Brian Anthony Moreland He's previously received four Tony Award nominations and Sea Wall/A Life (co-starring Gyllenhaal) Visit OthelloBway.com Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in Othello Molly Osborne and Denzel Washington in Othello Molly Osborne and Kimber Elayne Sprawl in Othello Jake Gyllenhaal and Denzel Washington in Othello Anthony Michael Lopez and Jake Gyllenhaal in Othello Noah Himmelstein will direct Matthew Puckett's original musical Neumann is the Tony nominated choreographer behind Hadestown and Swept Away one Tony winner is playing the trumpet while the other is channeling Madame Rose Due to the expansive nature of Off-Broadway and institutes have been revealed by the industry stalwart Thank You!You have now been added to the list Blocking belongson the stage,not on websites Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you The Denzel Washington- and Jake Gyllenhaal-led revival earned back its investment in nine weeks The new Broadway production of “Othello” has recouped its investment. The Kenny Leon-helmed revival of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy began previews on Feb. 24 and opened on March 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre which stars Denzel Washington as Othello and Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago is scheduled to play a limited engagement through June 8 This announcement marks the fourth play opening in the 2024-2025 season to reveal recoupment; “All In: Comedy About Love,” “Romeo + Juliet” and “Oh, Mary!” both recently made back their initial investments.  “Othello” has surpassed $3 million in gross each week one of only two plays to ever achieve such a feat “Othello” chronicles the titular Moorish general and his lieutenant Iago; Iago’s vengeance-fueled manipulation and deceit causes Othello to act out against his wife “Othello” is produced by Brian Anthony Moreland Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal have both been left out of this year’s nominations for their Shakespeare revival while Audra McDonald makes history The Oscar-winning actor was included in the leading actor in a play category for Good Night and Good Luck an adaptation of the 2005 film that he also starred in and directed “It’s a thrill to have five nominations for this play,” he said in a statement I couldn’t be more proud or feel more lucky.” After winning an Olivier award for her performance during the West End run of Sunset Boulevard Scherzinger is now heading up the category of leading actress in a musical She faces competition from Audra McDonald, who has become the most Tony-nominated performer of all time with a nod for Gypsy She has previously won six Tonys and has now been nominated for another five inspired by the 1997 album and documentary The other nominees for best musical are Dead Outlaw and Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical McDonald and Scherzinger’s leading actress in a musical category also includes Death Becomes Her stars Jennifer Simard and Megan Hilty and Boop The category for best leading actor in a musical is led by Just in Time’s Jonathan Groff, who won the award last year for Merrily We Roll Along He’s been recognised for playing Bobby Darin in the just-opened show who also won an Olivier award for his performance This marks Farrow’s first Tony nomination while her co-star Patti LuPone was snubbed In Clooney’s category of leading actor in a play he is joined by Oh, Mary!’s Cole Escola, Stranger Things: The First Shadow’s Louis McCartney as well as Jon Michael Hill and Harry Lennix Other nominees include Sam Mendes for directing The Hills of California and Bob Odenkirk for featured role by an actor in a play for Glengarry Glen Ross There were also no nominations for Romeo + Juliet stars Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor Last year saw music drama Stereophonic dominate with five major wins This year’s Tony awards will take place on 8 June with Cynthia Erivo hosting This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Othello has shattered Broadway box office records becoming the highest-grossing play revival in history will not enjoy similar success at the Tonys Kenny Leon’s revival of William Shakespeare’s classic drama was shut out The Guardian called the play a “muddled affair, in details and delivery.” Audience response has also been lukewarm, with Othello earning just a 59% approval rating on Show Score Some directorial choices were a bit confusing,” one user wrote becoming this season’s hottest—and priciest—ticket The multimillion dollar production opened March 23 at the Barrymore Theatre and has sold out every show since The 15-week limited run made history in April by breaking the weekly record for the highest-grossing play on Broadway and is now the top-earning play revival worldwide with dismal reviews over the direction and style of the play Othello paled compared to other Broadway shows and revivals This year’s Tony Award nominees for Best Play Revival include another Shakespearean tragedy Leading the pack with 10 nominations each are Death Becomes Her featuring Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child; Maybe Happy Ending a heartfelt love story between two robots; and Buena Vista Social Club a vibrant celebration of legendary Cuban musicians The Tony Awards are scheduled for Sunday, June 8, at Radio City Music Hall. You can find the list of nominees here RELATED CONTENT: Denzel Washington ‘Humbled’ As ‘Othello’ Tickets Hit $1K (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=b9508bae-07bd-46ea-a7a2-5c4267ac7d86&cid=2b3b1cf8-11b9-409d-a906-ab6746c50467'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "b9508bae-07bd-46ea-a7a2-5c4267ac7d86" }).render("a20691935f1e407f839f80b59a31f5fe"); }); Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music The show opened at the Barrymore Theatre on Sunday has recouped its initial investment after just nine weeks on Broadway Having opened at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) on Sunday this strictly limited engagement has played to sold-out audiences at every single performance since its very first preview on Monday it broke the weekly record for top-grossing play in Broadway history the highest grossing play revival in world history Inside a one-room apartment on the outskirts of Seoul Oliver lives a happily quiet life listening to jazz records and caring for his favorite plant But what else is there to do when you’re a HelperBot 3 a robot that has long been retired and considered obsolete When his fellow HelperBot neighbor Claire asks to borrow his charger what starts as an awkward encounter leads to a unique friendship starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal under the direction of Kenny Leon Stage and screen star Jake Gyllenhaal had reason to celebrate yesterday The star of Othello was joined by some of his past and present cast mates as he received his very own portrait at Sardi's Check out photos from inside the special day below The Entertainment Community Fund recently hosted its annual gala in New York City The evening honored Tony Award winner and Academy Award winner Denzel Washington Go inside the event as Washington praises the organization in a new video At an appearance last night at the Entertainment Community Fund Gala Othello star Denzel Washington shared his thoughts on the high prices of tickets for the Shakespeare revival and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy The “green-ey’d monster” rears its ugly head in William Shakespeare’s classic tale of jealousy chooses his friend Cassio for a promotion rather than his trusted but duplicitous ensign Iago weaves a complex scheme that spirals into a frenzy of suspicion ultimately leading to tragic acts of violence and irreversible loss This gripping 90-minute production preserves the classic language and core story of the full play making it perfect for an afternoon of culture and entertainment for couples and busy families Tickets are free but reservations are recommended.Location: Fred Fletcher ParkPerformance Times: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.Ages: AllCost: Tickets are free but reservations are recommended.Reserve Your Tickets This feedback widget is not intended for customer service issues This feedback is reviewed monthly to help us improve our site. For immediate customer service please refer to our staff directory 2025In an exciting sign that Broadway has officially recovered from its pandemic-era slump Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal's updated take on Othello has just become the most profitable play revival to ever debut on Broadway Recovering its $9 million investment after nine short weeks Othello has broken all kinds of financial records including an unprecedented $2.8 million box office gross during its preview period alone Based on the timeless Elizabethan tragedy from William Shakespeare Othello casts the 70-year-old Washington as the titular Moorish general Boasting in the recent successes of his rapid career advancements Washington's Othello soon finds himself in the middle of a dastardly plot orchestrated by his scheming lieutenant Iago (Gyllenhaal) leading the military commander to suspect his wife (Molly Osborne) of infidelity Between both Washington and Gyllenhaal's on-stage performances, Othello has become one of the most buzz-worthy shows currently appearing on Broadway. As reported by The New York Times it's also become one of the most costly shows for theatergoers to see with some orchestra seats costing patrons roughly $900 Since premiering at the Barrymore Theatre on March 23 Othello has successfully sold out every single show it's had illustrating the show's immense popularity among contemporary theater fans While the new Broadway play failed to garner any nominations at the upcoming Tony Awards ceremony, Othello's producers have nevertheless expressed their enthusiasm for the show's unprecedented financial earnings, calling Othello "the highest grossing play revival in world history," per Deadline. With such a weighty investment backing it, Othello might once have seemed a precarious gamble, but it's clear that the risk has more than paid off with its remarkable financial performances. With the show set to close on June 8, it's more than likely Othello will only continue to draw in increasingly high profits, spelling out yet another major entry in Washington's theatrical career on Broadway. Kandi Burruss spoke out in defense of her latest co-produced Broadway play posted on Instagram and expressed her disappointment about the decision “Well y’all… Othello didn’t get the Tony nomination,” she captioned the post but I’m still beyond proud to be part of this phenomenal production Burruss went on to say that Washington and Gyllenhaal delivered a performance “masterclass” that was “unforgettable.”  While Burruss congratulated the Tony nominees she’s “focused on what’s next,” meaning that she’s not “giving up on the dream” of getting an award To anyone chasing a dream — don’t let a ‘no’ stop your yes,” she concluded will play its final performance at the Nederlander Theatre on May 18th Written and directed by Tony Award-nominee Tina Landau and lyrics by Diaz and Landau was shown no Tony love A cast recording will be released later this month Money or Tony’s that was the call for Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal The show has recouped its entire investment after nine weeks on Broadway the show is now the highest-grossing play revival in history Shakespeare’s tragedy was entirely shut out of the 2025 Tony Award nominations with some seats selling for over $900 They were also shut out of the Outer Critics Circle and The Drama Desk The 2024 Olivier Award-winning musical comedy Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical celebrated their Tony Award nominations with custom-made sangria at midtown’s West Bank Café – in honor of the hilariously discussed beverage in the show In attendance were Tony nominees David Cumming Operation Mincemeat has been extended through February 15 making it the most nominated revival of the season The panels  feature Tony Award-winning luminaries including composer Jeanine Tesori (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Fun Home”); songwriters Shaina Taub (“Suffs”) and Helen Park (“KPOP”); director and designer Julie Taymor (“The Lion King”); director and choreographer Camille A Brown (“Gypsy” and “Hell’s Kitchen”); and producer Marjuan Canady (“Hell’s Kitchen”) National Asian Artists Project (NAAP) (Baayork Lee whose mission of “showcasing the work of Asian-American theatre artists through performance outreach and educational programming” will hold its 2025 Gala Benefit on Sunday May 18th at The Golden Unicorn (18 East Broadway @ Catherine Street) “At The Corner of Chinatown and Broadway” – “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of A CHORUS LINE honoring the role of “Connie Wong,” will be directed by the original “Connie Wong” Baayork Lee The evening will feature special guest performers Avionce Hoyles The evening will also include a salute to all the Connie Wong’s from across the nation and around the world The evening will begin at 6:00pm and will include dinner followed by an evening of entertainment and celebration Lea Salonga in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends Just in Time and Jonathan Groff Bring the Spirit of Bobby Darin to Life at Circle in the Square co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C she has performed in numerous productions in film She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator Ken Fallin’s Broadway: Jake Gyllenhaal & Denzel Washington in Othello Maybe Happy Ending and Broadway In Memoriam The New York Drama Critics’ Circle today named Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose Best Play of the 2024-25 season The award for Best Musical went to Maybe Happy Ending The selections were made at the organization’s 89th annual voting meeting This year the Circle introduced new awards for the first time since 1962:  Best Individual Performance which went to Andrew Scott for Vanya; and Best Ensemble Performance Special Citations were awarded to: Cole Escola for Oh Mary!; Cats: The Jellicle Ball; and David Greenspan for lifetime achievement which will be presented in a private ceremony on Thursday include a cash prize of $2,500 for Best Play made possible by a grant from the Lucille Lortel Foundation written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Phylicia Rashad The play received its world premiere at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre on March 24 received its New York premiere at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre on November 12  The musical had its world premiere in Seoul South Korea at Lifeway Hall in the DCF Daemyung Cultural Factory in 2016 The New York Drama Critics’ Circle comprises 23 drama critics from daily newspapers wire services and websites based in the New York metropolitan area The New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award which has been awarded every year since 1936 to the best new play of the season (with optional awards for foreign or American plays is the nation’s second-oldest playwriting award theater critic and editor for Time Out New York has served as president of the NYDCC since 2005 Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania serves as vice president; Helen Shaw of The New Yorker is treasurer the members of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle are David Barbour Emeritus members include Melissa Rose Bernardo A full breakdown of this year’s voting will be posted tonight on the organization’s website Theatre World Awards Board of Directors has announced the Honorees for Theatre World Award for an Outstanding Debut Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production Shailene Woodley (Cult of Love) will receive the 16th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater and Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams will receive the 12th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre and Good Luck) will receive a 2025 TWA Special Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut as Performer & Playwright The historic 79th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony will be held Monday evening at Hard Rock Café Times Square (1501 Broadway)._ Hosted annually by well-known theater journalist the 79th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony will be produced by Theatre World Awards OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER – DAVLER MEDIA / CITY GUIDE the Editor-in-Chief of both Theatre World and its companion volume are the oldest awards given for Outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway Debut Performances The Theatre World Awards are presented annually at the end of the theatre season to six actors and six actresses for their significant debut performances in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production invitation-only event followed by a party to celebrate the new honorees and welcome them to the Theatre World “family.” In what has become a highly entertaining and often touching tradition 12 previous winners serve as the presenters and often relive moments from past ceremonies and share wonderful stories rarely heard at other theatrical awards Many people feel that this is the most fun and enjoyable awards show of the Broadway season Previous winners who have won the prestigious Theatre World Award at the beginning of their careers include Meryl Streep The Theatre World Award honorees are chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee which is comprised of Linda Armstrong (Amsterdam News) Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Theatre Guide) and Frank Scheck (New York Stage Review/ The Hollywood Reporter) Board of Directors is headed by Dale Badway (President) with Tom Lynch (Vice-President) The late Honorable Ilene Zatkin-Butler (Treasurer) The Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater honors an Outstanding Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production who had the unique talent of being able to make audiences laugh and cry made her Broadway debut in Nowhere to Go But Up for which she received a Theatre World Award for her performance She received a Tony® Award for her incomparable performance as ‘Miss Hannigan’ in Annie and went on to triumphs originating roles in Noises Off Previous recipients of the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater include A.J Shively (2024),Julie Benko (2023),Michael Oberholtzer (2022) The Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater is chosen by the Trustees of The Dorothy Loudon Foundation together with recommendations from the Theatre World Awards Committee The John Willis Award is given for lifetime achievement in the theatre to honor the man who created and maintained the Theatre World tradition for 66 years encouraging new talent in an often-challenging business The John Willis Award is presented annually by the Theatre World Awards Board of Directors to an individual whose lifetime achievements and personal generosity to the Theatre Community merit special recognition and acknowledgement Previous recipients of the John Willis Award include Len Cariou (2024) a TWA Special Award was bestowed upon Peter Filichia Special Award Honorees were bestowed for Outstanding Swing: Marilyn Caserta (Six) and Outstanding Contribution to The Theatre World: Dale Badway (Actor and President of the Theatre World Awards Board of Directors) OASIS UNCHANINED — (Via Deadline) Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are preparing to reunite on stage for the first time in 16 years with fans clamoring for tickets for the UK band’s comeback tour this summer The previously warring brothers have both said they’ve put their differences behind them to go on the road with stadium gigs in the UK But it seems the maxim “Good walls make good neighbors” has not gone ignored by the band and their management with The Sun newspaper reporting that arrangements have been put in place to keep the two brothers and their entourages separate backstage at all UK gigs The Sun reports that the Gallagher brothers have been given completely separate green rooms and after-party spaces “Each of them had a VIP list where their friends and famous fans could buy their tickets “But depending on which brother you got your ticket off; it’s their green room and after-party you’re invited to if you’re on Noel’s list but fancy going across to say hello to Liam it’s going to be a case of trying to blog entry It seems like they are totally separate events.” This move follows the brothers’ definitive bust-up backstage in Paris in 2009 when they fell out so badly Noel refused to go onstage with his brother and soon left the band bringing to a close an era of one of the UK’s most successful ever bands Liam and Noel Gallagher have gone on to enjoy success with other musical projects but nothing approaching the scale of Oasis The brothers are preparing to start rehearsing for their string of gigs which kick off in Cardiff on July 4 to film an ad for adidas inside a small working men’s club in north London The brothers were inside the venue for just over an hour but stayed long enough for a local to complain about the noise but this sure sounds like a tour for a quick money grab SHORT TAKES — Songstress Kyla Nicole Healey has resurfaced She’ll appear at the Tribeca Festival in June  … After almost 30 years atFox and Friends Lester Holt departs his nightly-news-broadcast on May 30 TV is in free fall for sure… Last week Warner’s boasted about their soon-to-be-filmed Sgt The Jonas Brothers and the Zach Brown Band No classic rockers sadly and sort of a sad-list overall I had hoped for a yacht-rock performer at least CBS cancelled Queen Latifah’s The Equalizer after 5 seasons CBS’s NCIS Origins seems to have been the breakout show of the year I am a Mark Harmon fan and had my reservations about whether a prequel show could actually work for the storied NCIS series (22 seasons) acting and direction have all been just sensational though the overall tone has been much darker and moodier than the mothership show “Cecilia” was just brilliantly executed the show has had some terrific source music used throughout – playing all the originals founder of West Side Rag and Ruth Buzzi … Happy Bday William Schill; Engelbert Humperdinck; Amanda Naylor; and Mike Eisenstadt NAMES IN THE NEWS — Gloria Kaye; Amanda Naylor; Tony Smith; Curtis Urbina; Bobby Shaw; Randy Murray; Chip Quigley; David Bryne; Gabe Adams; Ken Dashow; Maria Milito; Christine Brinkley; Tony Smith;  Brad Balfour; John Cafferty; Rick Springfield; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Steve Walter; Steve Leeds; Jim Kerr; Courtney Mendez; Amanda Naylor; Tony DeLauro; Chubby Checker; Bruce Morrow; Al Stewart; Jay Jacobs; Magda Katz; and Livingston Taylor Images on this page have been licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends is a musical cornucopia and divine celebration of the Stephen Sondheim songbook Tony Award-winning icons Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga lead an extraordinary cast co-staring Jacob Dickey now playing at Circle in the Square Theatre is more than a musical biography—it’s an electrified immersive celebration of a life lived in defiance of the clock Under the visionary direction of Alex Timbers the production transforms the venue into a 1960s nightclub where the pulse of Bobby Darin lives on in every note Jonathan Groff Photo By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman delivering a 1,000-watt performance that’s as emotionally grounded as it is electrically charged He doesn’t merely portray Darin—he inhabits him and emotional nuance that lights up every corner of the in-the-round space building a character who blazes like a supernova and breaks your heart in equal measure Michele-Pawk and Julia Gondin Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Michele Pawk delivers a poignant turn as Darin’s vaudevillian mother a guiding presence laced with warmth and grit Emily Bergl Photo By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Gracie Lawrence Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman and Erika Henningsen brings tenderness  and humanity to Sandra Dee illuminating Darin’s complicated relationships with grace Erika Henningsen Photo By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman dressed in Catherine Zuber’s fabulous 1960s couture Julia Gordon Photo By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman The design elements are immersive and transportive: Derek McLane’s nightclub set wraps the audience in time; Justin Townsend’s lighting casts it in memory; and Peter Hylenski’s sound design ensures the music pulses with clarity and atmosphere But it’s Andrew Resnick—musical supervisor and onstage pianist—who makes the evening soar musically Darin’s greatest hits don’t just play—they ignite breathing new life into songs like “Mack the Knife,” “Dream Lover,” “If I Were a Carpenter,” and “Beyond the Sea.” His touch elevates the production into something both timeless and thrilling The book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver smartly balances showbiz sparkle with deeper truths revealing the man behind the music—a sickly child turned star who lived like he knew his time was short heartfelt tribute that pulses with nostalgia My View: And The Winners Are…The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s American Songbook H.S Youth America Grand Prix World’s Largest Ballet Scholarship Competition 2025 Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Honored to Support The Kindness Is Cool Movement and MAG Gala of Luisa Diaz with New Adboard Ocean Casino Resort Turns Seven in Style with ‘Lucky Summer of Sevens’ Prince Mario Max Schaumburg Lippe: Canvas Meets Code – Artem Mirolevich and Dmitry Trekhsvyatsky Launch Bold New Exhibition in NYC Dead Outlaw at the Longacre Theatre—A Rootin’-Tootin’ Resurrection Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission Bad theater can be uniquely enraging. (Arguably, I’m here writing this because I once got very mad while watching a play.) But it can also be simply baffling Why do the cops’ flak jackets say “Polizia” while the military uniforms have American flags on them Does this play take place in a future where the U.S Audience and ensemble alike are lost in a hinterland so disconcertingly sleepy and beige that it’s hard to summon anything as visceral as fury Washington isn’t bothering — at least in any legible way — to feel much Samuel Taylor Coleridge scribbled a note in the margins of his copy of Othello about “the motive-hunting of Motiveless malignity” — a reference to the way in which the play’s treacherous villain cooks up a variety of shallow rationalizations for a hatred that’s too deep and insidious to stem from any neatly explicable circumstance But what of the motive-hunting of a motiveless production no reason for being beyond the movie stars at its center actors in standard-issue navy suits and Desert Storm–style fatigues reshuffle themselves into indifferent configurations (“The Near Future” reads a lone projection on those columns at the top of the play — though what this is meant to teach us about the rules of this onstage universe the monoliths start sliding ponderously back and forth to break up the space — as a truly bewildering melange of transition music plays — but for a long time Leon seems unsure of what to do with his actors besides have them walk straight downstage-center and stand next to each other to conduct a scene Eye contact is in bizarrely low supply; even more scarce is any sense of urgency or enthusiasm the handsome lieutenant that Othello has promoted above Iago Andrew Burnap makes the most solid effort to put something behind the words That combustive energy has to come from the poisonous plotter the honorable general that Iago tortures and deceives into a shattering act of violence achieves only intermittent glints of Iago’s venomous vitality He and Washington spend long stretches of the show with their hands in a martial clasp behind their backs — the kind of attempt at “realism” that’s always a bad excuse for not giving characters a full psychophysical life It’s all well and good to avoid mustache-twirling as Iago; it’s another thing to remain largely opaque to dampen the electrical current of the character’s terrible canniness Gyllenhaal’s most human moments come during his soliloquies where his face sometimes twists into ugly hurt and his voice thickens: He’s playing Iago’s stated motives — Othello’s failure to promote him and his own vague suspicion that the general might have cuckolded him — as earnest drivers of action What he’s not doing is tapping into a deeper the night I saw the show — to be miles away from the Barrymore Theatre He starts the role smiling and unflappable his trademark dignity and charm doing the bulk of the work And while it makes sense to give Othello a long arc — from integrity and decency to decimated brutal heartbreak — Washington stays so stubbornly reeled in that it’s hard not to think he and Leon are intentionally avoiding the part’s inevitable leaps Othello isn’t exactly the most approachable of Shakespeare’s plays in 2025: Like The Merchant of Venice it carries around a vexed and insoluble discourse (Both can be true.) Is it a great role for a Black actor or is it a trap — a narrative that ultimately showed London audiences a Black man getting gaslit into exactly the kind of violent behavior they perhaps expected of him all along a creative team has got to have a profound sense of why — of what this thing is deeply about how the racial dynamics of its world are in conversation with those of ours breathing human beings and why we should care It may be that Washington’s lackluster performance stems from a misfiring if understandable desire to avoid stereotypes of outsize passion — of big blustery emotional fireworks in a thorny role of color — yet the result is that we go on no journey with his Othello even as he enters the bedroom of his innocent wife experience his awful interior transformation as he approaches her in these fateful moments a truly unsettling percentage of the audience is still laughing (The more-than-40-year age gap between the actors also gives rise to one of the least sexy unions I’ve ever seen on stage; when this Othello gives his sleeping wife a series of tortured final kisses he bends over stiffly from the waist and pecks her chastely on the forehead.) Washington seems most comfortable leaning into little relatable flourishes that might earn a chuckle — his “Why did I marry?” when Iago starts to crack the seals of his confidence is more wry and sitcom-ish than distraught — but that impulse curdles up inside a speech like the one he’s got to give as a prologue to murder / Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow / And smooth as monumental alabaster,” he says (Leon leaves in place pretty much all of the play’s language that idealizes whiteness and denigrates Blackness.) Then he pauses before continuing almost nonchalantly: “Yet she must die.” The audience giggles Is that what the production — what any production of Othello — really wants Washington isn’t alone in his drastic underplaying of the story’s stakes Emilia (Kimber Elayne Sprawl) — Iago’s wife here styled as a fellow soldier in an ambiguous status relationship with the general’s wife — enter at the top of the production’s second act they’re looking for a handkerchief that will prove pivotal in Iago’s schemes and Desdemona knows its disappearance is no trivial thing I had rather have lost my purse / Full of crusadoes,” she tells Emilia But Osborne and Sprawl enter the stage casually taking Leon’s favorite route as they meander toward downstage-center Osborne’s “Where should I lose that handkerchief Sprawl breezes through one of the play’s best speeches “But I do think it is their husbands’ faults / If wives do fall,” she tells the shaken Desdemona It’s a ferocious eighteen lines in a play that can’t be credited with doing an overall great job with its women — but Leon has Sprawl stand behind Osborne but that’s also just as frequently flung around as a slur in the play (Even the production’s approach to that friction feels shaky: The term’s usage in action causes no distinct ripples among the characters and the show program describes Othello as “a Moor” and a “Marine Corps General” as if the phrases were equally neutral.) Leon also retains record-needle-scratch moments like the Duke of Venice (Neal Bledsoe giving Gavin Newsom) seemingly praising Othello by telling Desdemona’s father / Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.” If characters are going to talk like this we’ve got to understand something about the world they’re inhabiting: If it’s a fundamentally historically racist world — ours or a variant thereon — then how many of the people living in it are aware March 24: This reference to Jarhead has been corrected Already a subscriber? Sign in By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Othello' on BroadwayThe two celebrated actors stars as Othello and Iago in the first revival of Shakespeare's tragedy in more than 40 years Attention! New photos are available of Othello on Broadway, starring Oscar and Tony Award winner Denzel Washington and Oscar and Tony nominee Jake Gyllenhaal Washington stars in the title role of a powerful military general undone by his scheming ensign who exploits Othello's jealous streak to bring about his demise directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon and set in the near future is the first Broadway revival of Othello in more than 40 years The cast also includes Molly Osborne as Desdemona Check back for information on Othello tickets on New York Theatre Guide. You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy a revival of Shakespeare's tragedy directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon it promises the showdown of a lifetime in this tragedy about a military commander whose fatal flaw is trusting everyone except his own wife Washington’s approach to the character is competent but largely dispassionate Besides having a bit of the swagger of new love his Othello is mostly tempered with fatigue — whether of war Othello himself admits that he is “declined into the vale of years,” and Washington seems to lean into references to the character's age Washington’s Othello is oddly cold and matter-of-fact as if emotionally resigned to the deed he believes he must do Opposite him is Gyllenhaal as Othello’s Macchiavellian underling driven by jealousy and resentment He handles Iago’s lines — and there are plenty — with an effortless and he confides in the audiences through soliloquies with the ease of Jim Halpert shrugging at the camera It’s not hard to believe this sweet-faced Iago has everyone fooled into thinking him the most honest man in the army the military setting is emphasized for modern audiences by having the soldiers (including Othello) almost always wearing army fatigues This choice also visually reminds us that Desdemona usually dressed in crisp outfits like a statesman’s wife Casting the 27-year-old Molly Osborne as Desdemona creates a striking age difference between her and her new husband but Osborne has an easy chemistry with Washington that makes the match work All this casts an even darker light on the character’s tragic death For all its star power and chemistry between the leads (Washington-Gyllenhaal and Washington-Osborne) not much of this production is particularly original or groundbreaking Standout Kimber Elayne Sprawl is a breath of fresh air as a whip-smart Emilia But setting aside the excitement of a beloved lead in an iconic role Leon’s buttoned-up production is a perfectly enjoyable is upset because Othello has passed him over for a promotion to lieutenant Iago begins scheming to take down Othello and his new bride along with anyone else he thinks has wronged him He weaves a web of lies behind everyone’s backs leaving no prisoners while still pretending to love and support Othello Leon’s Othello is set vaguely in “the near future,” a move that must invite comparisons between the pointed language Othello’s colleagues use to describe him and the current political climate but the relatively minimalist set — made up of large columns and not much else — reveals its depth as the columns move to change the layout of each scene combined with the lighting design of Natasha Katz ensure that each scene is distinct despite the lack of props in most all audience members must turn off their phones and lock them in Yondr pouches (provided by the theatre) until the end of the show Othello has a 54% audience approval rating on Show-Score Read more audience reviews of Othello on Show-Score. Kenny Leon’s production is a valiant stab at bringing the Bard to Broadway but even with the mass appeal of its two powerhouse leads this Othello struggles to distinguish itself Learn more about Othello on New York Theatre Guide. Othello is at the Barrymore Theatre through June 8. The record-breaking take on the Shakespearean tragedy might already be a smash Othello became emblematic of Broadway’s trend toward luxury experience and status symbol over popular entertainment billing Hollywood names in a hyper-competitive human fallibility and race more than 400 years after its debut it’s for the opportunity to see Gyllenhaal one of the most versatile and thrilling millennial actors and especially the widely beloved Washington rightly hailed in the Playbill as “the most lauded stage and screen actor of his generation” Othello does provide a showcase for these two heavyweight talents to bend iambic pentameter to their will – to convey both the plot and the emotional nuances of this tragedy to an audience that probably does not totally understand what they’re saying Derek McLane’s scenic design keeps the stage bare except for some peeling columns the props minimal save for occasional accoutrements of a modern military operation (army fatigues A lit message at play’s opening sets this medieval drama in “the near future” – still Venice (and later Cyprus) though when Gyllenhaal’s devious Iago first appears to set the stage for the fateful manipulation of the general one might mistake him for a hustler at a basement club in Bushwick and a preponderance on blue-white floor lighting (design by Natasha Katz) gives the production the feel of a concert at the ruins of the Colosseum Star power does the heavy lifting, though not enough to elevate this Othello into the pantheon of Broadway greats. As expected, Washington, at 70, brings the bearing of an elder statesman to the fallible Venetian general, a role he first played at age 22 This has the double-sided effect of making the character feel especially tragic – the well-respected veteran general imbued with glorious authority by one of the most well-respected actors felled by a shocking streak of insecurity – and ill-fitting; his chemistry with Desdemona (a much younger Molly Osborne an English actor with an unwieldy American accent) feels more father-daughter than new husband and wife despite Washington’s best attempts at charming Washington has moments of sublime melody as Othello descends into jealous delusion the kind of rhapsodic deliveries that feel worth whatever price of admission but the overall tone of his performance is one of perfunctory hyper-competence an actor of singular intensity who makes a meal out of Iago’s desperate two-facedness He opens the show with a hypnotic screed against “the Moor” he so loathes – a denigration of blackness (of soul and skin) in Shakespeare’s time tilted just enough to resonate more clearly in ours easily convincing in his maneuverings of the guileless lieutenant Cassio (Snow White’s Andrew Burnap) as well as gullible townsman Roderigo (Anthony Michael Lopez) Gyllenhaal’s Iago is the one truly fun performance to watch throughout the show’s nearly three-hour runtime in details and delivery – Italian polizia but American uniforms Iago prejudiced against the black-skinned general yet married to Emilia played by Black actor Kimber Elayne Sprawl his grip on reality or his evolution from hero to villain slippery His Othello is never not compelling; the whole thing though weighted down by expectation – enough that it should keep the green-eyed monsters who miss out at bay Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s acclaimed Broadway revival of Othello has surprisingly been left off the list of 2025 Tony Award nominees despite critical acclaim and overwhelming box office success The 2025 Tony Awards are set to return to New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall next month with Cynthia Erivo taking on hosting duties made on May 1 by Tony winners Sarah Paulson and Wendell Pierce revealed the contenders in 26 competitive categories for the 78th Annual Tony Awards—none of which included recognition for Othello or its team the production made headlines for recouping its entire investment just nine weeks into its run pulling in $9 million and becoming the highest-grossing play revival in Broadway history Tickets for the limited engagement at the Barrymore Theatre became some of the most sought-after of the season with prices reportedly climbing above $900 per seat despite being a consistent sell-out and drawing an A-list audience—including Gayle King and Colman Domingo—the production failed to secure any recognition from the Tony nominating committee Speaking with Entertainment Tonight about the show’s success and the high ticket demand “I’ve been blessed beyond measure for a long time but I’ve been a part of sold-out shows before and I’m humbled by the reaction and the response that we’re getting and I’m humbled by the opportunity to… use my celebrity to help others NEW YORK – “Othello” has fast become Broadway’s most impossible ticket The play, which opened March 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, is a formidable showcase for Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal even if the uninspired production around them leaves much to be desired The first Broadway revival of William Shakespeare’s tragedy in more than four decades “Othello” follows a venerated Marine Corps general (Washington) who is driven to jealousy and rage by his conniving junior officer Incensed when he is passed over for a promotion Iago sets out to poison Othello against his virtuous young wife claiming she is having an affair with the handsome lieutenant Cassio (Andrew Burnap) Osborne painfully conveys Desdemona’s distress and confusion over her husband’s unfounded accusations while it’s impossible to take your eyes off the tremendous Burnap who brings pathos and magnetism to the caddish Cassio Kimber Elayne Sprawl also wows as Iago’s defiant wife Emilia who becomes increasingly jaded over the ways in which women are oppressed and degraded has established himself as one of America’s most vital Shakespeare interpreters having starred in stage and screen iterations of “Coriolanus,” “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” He starts “Othello” on somewhat unsure footing: at times garbling his words racing through dialogue and listlessly ambling in and out of scenes capturing Othello’s creeping insecurities over both his race and old age And as the action hurtles toward its inevitable bloodshed Washington places the audience in a ferocious chokehold that never lets up The two-time Oscar winner is fearsome and towering although this production ultimately belongs to Gyllenhaal Despite being one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names the actor has always felt somewhat underappreciated: Outside of a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for “Brokeback Mountain” in 2006 he has somehow never won a major industry prize Gyllenhaal mesmerizes in a career-best performance that taps into the infinite well of his talent Even when he is quietly stewing on the edge of the stage you can see his eyes blazing with bitter vengeance it’s a shame that director Kenny Leon’s prosaic staging feels like such an afterthought given his artful recent work on "Our Town" and "Purlie Victorious." An opening title card announces that the story is set in a vague “near future,” where the men dress like Murray Hill bros while the women look as if they stepped out of a Talbots catalog it’s time for a moratorium on Army fatigues in modern Shakespeare productions.) Derek McLane’s scenic design is frustratingly rote – mostly consisting of moving columns – although lighting designer Natasha Katz manages to create some stunning silhouettes as the violence ramps up in the second act One could argue that the staging is deliberately spare, so as not to pull focus from the performances. But after similarly muddled productions of “Macbeth” with Daniel Craig and “Romeo and Juliet” with Rachel Zegler, is it too much to ask for a Shakespeare revival with something more to say? “Othello” is now playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (243 W. 47th Street) through June 8. The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers When you purchase through links on our site The Succession star also claimed he’d heard Washington’s co-star Jake Gyllenhaal ‘is not particularly wonderful’ I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Succession star Brian Cox has hit out at the cost of tickets to see Denzel Washington in a new production of Shakespeare’s Othello on Broadway, and slated the performance of Washington’s co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal The show at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre has already broken box office records to become the highest-grossing Broadway play ever, raking in $2.8m in previews in a single week This is partly down to the cost of tickets The Daily Mail reported that during a talk at a London theatre Cox remarked about the state of the business: “There’s amazing shows and hits but there’s too much money stuff involved in American theatre where apparently you’re paying $1,000 a night to see Othello with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal who I hear is not particularly wonderful.” The 78-year-old Scottish actor went on to say that a friend who’d seen the show had been left stunned by the high price and the lack of quality on offer “A friend of mine said they couldn’t believe it That balance is wrong because it puts the theatre in a whole different place.” Cox added that he felt Washington could be good in the title role but said he had doubts about Gyllenhaal’s ability to play the ambitious lieutenant Iago: “I mean I've got nothing against Denzel Washington I would like to direct him so you can get it right He argued that British theatre is in better shape than its American counterpart saying: “The British structure is pretty phenomenal and it’s getting better… My sadness about America is that there isn’t a structure.” Cox’s comments come after the Broadway revival of Othello received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom took issue with the modernization of the production. “Given the visibly well-heeled nature of the audience at the performance I attended, and the slick, contemporary attire used in Kenny Leon’s production, as designed by Dede Ayite, I felt at times like I was watching an immersive, militarized version of Billions, or Succession,” Chris Jones wrote for New York Daily News Jones found that casting 70-year-old Washington opposite Osborne “You don’t feel much of a sexual connection between Othello and Desdemona,” he added Green additionally took issue with “Leon’s decision to set the action ‘in the near future,’” adding: “In short, as I felt the production’s blunt force more and more, I grasped its aura and aims less and less.” Othello runs now through July 8 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies The show is now the highest-grossing play revival in history Shakespeare’s classic tragedy follows the title character a military commander also known as the ‘Moor of Venice’ Gyllenhaal plays the antihero and malevolent underling Iago Iago manipulates Othello into thinking that his wife The show opened at the Barrymore Theatre on February 24th and has sold out every performance since It has already broken the weekly record for the top-grossing play in Broadway history with a $2,824,493 take quickly broke this record later in the month Average Broadway ticket prices for Othello frequently hit the $370-$380 range Premium seats in the orchestra section are close to the $900 mark the play was snubbed by this year’s Tony Nominations some reviewers were less than pleased with the show Ethel Barrymore at The Guardian called the play “disappointingly muddled.” Another Shakespeare adaptation, Romeo and Juliet, was extremely popular in the New York theatre scene recently. It stars Hollywood star Rachel Zegler and Heartstopper‘s Kit Connor That offering recouped its $7million capitalisation during the course of its 20-week run Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission You may have heard that tickets for the Broadway production of Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, are going for as much as $921 While some have speculated that price is fueled by A-list actor salaries I have a feeling something else is going on the total renovation of Gyllenhaal’s dressing room To quote a different Shakespearean tragedy: Aye Gyllenhaal recently gave Architectural Digest a tour of his lavish dressing room He probably brought in his own couch and a fun lamp from home the actor brought in designers Ruby Kean and Lisa Jones of Atelier LK to help him make over the space where he gets into costume and does his vocal warm-ups Kean told the magazine that they all wanted a room that was “narrative-driven but also something that would be very comfortable for him that he could really retreat into.” So, what exactly does one do to make a room narrative-driven? Well, the wallpaper is giant blown-up photos of Venice, where the play originally takes place (per some reviews the current production seems a little confused about where the action is happening) There’s a handmade chess set as an ode to the “calculated gameplay” of Iago Gyllenhaal and his companion can sit in a pair of chairs — one light one dark — that are meant to represent the racial themes of the play “I would never claim to try and be a dramaturge here but I do think the materials that [Jones and Kean] picked — both soft and tough and the comfort — all these juxtapositions are very very right for the themes of Othello,” Gyllenhaal said Now, hey, maybe Gyllenhaal paid for this himself. Maybe he’s the one who dropped $9,200 on a Sophie Lou Jacobsen Tulipa lamp or maybe it’s just a loaner for the 15-week run and whoever did is just lighting money on fire Gyllenhaal isn’t even spending that much time in his dressing room “Denzel’s made his way up there a couple of times but just through the nature of him being the general I tend to go to his room,” he told the magazine he has hopes that his investment will pay off soon: “When time comes and we’re in our run and we get to come in at 5 or 6 for an 8 p.m I hope we’ll hang out there a lot more.” Here’s hoping Jake Gyllenhaal and Denzel Washington | Photo: Julieta Cervantes The uber-prolific Kenny Leon has somewhat perfected his directorial strategy of casting extremely well then getting out of the way of his talented performers he typically pulls it off on the strength of the material It worked with a rollicking comedy like Purlie Victorious it worked with an emotional meditation like Our Town which stumbles aimlessly and fruitlessly for nearly three hours a focus on one of the many thematic strands each contains Though Leon’s two previous Shakespearean outings had specific takes on character and setting Gyllenhaal wrangles emotion out of his Iago if he’s not completely at home with the Bard’s language in a statement as baffling to write as the performance was to witness seems to have little hold on crafting his character This Othello does not carry the triumphant stateliness of an army general victorious over general circumstance and pointed racism but rather the affable nature of an easy mark When the scheming Iago suggests his new wife Desdemona (Molly Osborne) might be untrue sapping the bonafide thriller of any sense of tragedy with Anthony Michael Lopez and Kimber Elayne Sprawl also making the most of their Roderigo and Emilia It would be ludicrous to imply Washington and Gyllenhaal are incapable of turning in momentous so one searches for a directorial hand that emerges in other whose structural minimalism is well-suited to the modern-dress costumes (by Dede Ayite) with columns sophomorically sponge-painted to suggest age And Justin Ellington’s sound design vacillates clunkily between melodramatic Disney-sounding strings and modern trap beats An introductory projection places the action in “the near future,” apparently one where the United States has invaded the story’s Venice given the conflicting military and police patches worn onstage This scene-setting appears following the magic trick involving Desdemona’s handkerchief which opens the show Long before the accessory figures into Iago’s plot it hangs mid-air against a blank stage before the performance begins and knowing purpose that the gesture promises disappears almost as immediately Othello is in performance through June 8, 2025 at the Barrymore Theatre on West 47th Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here and interviews for publications in New York and Boston and will continue to do so until every last person is annoyed Thanks to his MA in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University he has suddenly found himself the expert on Queer Melodrama in Venezuelan Cinema Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, starring as Othello and Iago in a new Broadway production, talk with 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker about portraying Shakespeare’s story in which life and death are “ever-present in every moment of the show.” Watch the full interview. a 1977 graduate of Fordham College at Lincoln Center right down the block at Fordham at Lincoln Center I go past it every day on my way to rehearsal It’s fascinating to have been too young for the part too old. Forty-eight years experience, 48 years of pain and life has informed my approach to playing the role.”  Jane Martinez is director of media relations and deputy University spokesperson at Fordham. She can be reached at [email protected] or (347) 992-1815 Sign up to receive the latest news from Fordham University Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal co-star in the Broadway revival The current Broadway revival of Shakespeare’s Othello, starring Oscar and Tony winner Denzel Washington and Tony and Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal will begin offering $49 student rush tickets.  Photos: Jennifer Lopez, Angela Bassett, President Joe Biden, More Celebrate Opening Night for Othello On Broadway The production previously announced a $49 digital lottery that opens at midnight ET the day before the performance. Winners may purchase up to two tickets at $49 each (including a $5 service fee). Seats may be partial view; visit Rush.Telecharge.com Tony winner Kenny Leon directs the revival, which opened March 23 and continues its limited engagement through June 8. Read the reviews here