The new new Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, directed by Tony winner Sam Gold, opens at the Cort Theatre April 4. In the title role is two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson, seen last season on Broadway in Three Tall Women.
Performances of King Lear, which features an original score by Philip Glass, began February 28.
Rounding out the principal cast are Tony Award winner Jayne Houdyshell as Earl of Gloucester, three-time Obie Award winner Elizabeth Marvel as Goneril, Aisling O’Sullivan as Regan, Pedro Pascal as Edmund, Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk Award winner John Douglas Thompson as Earl of Kent, and two-time Olivier Award winner and Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson as Cordelia/Fool.
King Lear details the gradual descent into madness of its title character, a King who, prior to offering his bequests, tests his three daughters by asking each of them to declare how much they love him. The decision leads to chaos and treachery within the kingdom.
The cast also features Russell Harvard as Duke of Cornwall, Michael Arden as the Aide to Cornwall, Sean Carvajal as Edgar, Ian Lassiter as the King of France, Justin Cunningham as the Duke of Burgundy, Dion Johnstone as Duke of Albany, and Matthew Maher as Oswald. Rounding out the company are Che Ayende, Therese Barbato, Stephanie Roth Haberle, Daniel Marmion, and John McGinty.
Produced by Scott Rudin, this all-new King Lear features scenic design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Jane Cox, and sound design by Scott Lehrer. Performances are scheduled through July 7.
Gold is the Tony-winning director of A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Fun Home. Among other productions, he was behind the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway stagings of Othello and Hamlet in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
