Broadway News
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama Will Co-Produce Proof On Broadway
The political power couple have set a Broadway debut.
March 11, 2026 By Logan Culwell-Block, Margaret Hall
The Obamas are coming to Broadway! President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will make their Broadway debuts by co-producing the upcoming revival of David Auburn's Proof, under their production banner Higher Ground. They join a previously announced producing team that includes Mike Bosner and director Thomas Kail.
Kail is directing the revival of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play, which will begin a strictly limited 16-week engagement at the Booth Theatre March 31 ahead of an April 16 opening night. Ayo Edebiri, Don Cheadle, Samira Wiley, and Jin Ha are starring.
Proof tells the story of the daughter of a recently deceased mathematician who must fight to prove the authorship of a landmark proof that is discovered among her father's papers, while also dealing with her father's legacy of genius and mental illness.
The production will serve as an expansion for Higher Ground, which has previously focused on film, television, and podcast projects. The group has earned three Academy Award nominations and won for American Factory, and has also won six Emmys and two Grammys. Titles include Leave the World Behind, Crip Camp, Rustin, American Symphony, IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso, The Wonder of Stevie, and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.
Proof premiered Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000, selling out its initial run before transferring to Broadway, where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Play. Proof closed January 5, 2003, after 917 performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre, setting the venue record for a play. In 2001, Proof received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2005, Proof was adapted into a feature film starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Kail's creative team includes composer Kris Bowers, scenic designer Teresa L. Williams, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Amanda Zieve, sound designers Justin Ellington and Connor Wang, hair and wig designer Mia Neal, casting director Daniel Swee, and production stage manager Sara Gammage. Baseline Theatrical serves as general manager for the production.
More latest news
-
The Greatest Showman Stage Musical Begins World Premiere in U.K. March 15
International News -
-
Celebrities You Can See on Broadway This Spring
Insider Info -
-
On the Town: Where to Eat and Drink in New York City
Insider Info -
