Broadway's upcoming POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive has moved up its opening night afternoon to April 27, newly making the production eligible for 2022 Tony Awards. With Mr. Saturday Night set to open the evening of April 27, POTUS will be the rare production to celebrate its opening with a matinee. The production's start remains set for April 14, and a special gala celebration will be held May 1. The production was originally set to open May 9.
Lilli Cooper, Lea DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, Suzy Nakamura, Julie White, and Vanessa Williams will star in the comedic play at Broadway's Shubert Theatre, with Susan Stroman (The Producers, The Scottsboro Boys) directing the work from newcomer Selina Fillinger, who makes her Broadway debut with the production. Described as a "modern farce," the work centers on a PR nightmare that befalls the White House, with seven female support staff risking everything to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
Cooper will star as Chris, DeLaria as Bernadette, Dratch as Stephanie, Hough as Dusty, Nakamura as Jean, White as Harriet, and Williams as Margaret. Dratch, Hough, and Nakamura will all make their Broadway debuts with the production.
Rounding out the cast will be Anita Abdinezhad (Persian Pod), Gisela Chípe (Manifest), Jennifer Fouché (Chicken & Biscuits), and Lisa Helmi Johanson (Avenue Q) as standbys.
Stroman will lead a creative team that includes scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Linda Cho, lighting designer Sonoyo Nishikawa, and sound designer Jessica Paz. Hair and wig design will be by Cookie Jordan, with Rocio Mendez providing intimacy and fight direction. Casting is by Taylor Williams, and Johnny Milani is production stage manager. Foresight Theatrical will provide general management.
POTUS will be produced on Broadway by Seaview (Slave Play), Lynette Howell Taylor's 51 Entertainment (A Star is Born), Glass Half Full Productions (Betrayal), Level Forward (What the Constitution Means to Me), Salman Al-Rashid, Sony Music Masterworks, Mark Gordon Pictures, Imagine Equal Entertainment, Jonathan Demar, Luke Katler, Thomas Laub, and David J. Lynch. Level Forward will also serve as impact producer, with key partnerships with organizations supporting women running for office and voter registration to be announced in the coming weeks.
Visit POTUSBway.com.
