Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Prowls at the Broadhurst

The previously postponed Broadway production of an African-American-cast Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has landed on its feet. Debbie Allen will direct a limited run starting Feb. 11, 2008, at the Broadhurst Theatre.

This new production of the 1955 Tennessee Williams classic is being presented by Tin Cat Productions and produced by Stephen Byrd. Cast and creative team will be announced soon. Opening is set for March 6, 2008.

"Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams' stunning American masterpiece," according to the producers. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof searingly portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie the Cat, her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy."

The play has been revived on Broadway several times, but this will be the first African-American-cast staging approved for Broadway by the Williams estate.

African-American actors appeared in at least one revival of the play — in 1999 at TheatreViriginia.

Producer Stephen Byrd said in a statement, "I am so proud to be able to bring this amazing story back to the Broadway stage. I have been on a 12-year journey with this vision of an African-American version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and am ecstatic that Ms. Debbie Allen will helm this production. It will truly be a historic presentation of a classic piece of theatre."

Allen stated, "I am thrilled to stand at the helm of this unique production as we navigate our way through Tennessee Williams' riveting and explosive American classic. Cat, said to be his favorite of his many plays, achieves a timeless coherence with its characters as they wrestle with the universal struggles of life, love, money, sex and death."

Allen, a respected director and choreographer, is widely known for her role as Lydia Grant in the hit TV series "Fame." She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Purlie. She created the role of Beneatha in the Tony Award-winning musical Raisin, and in the 1979 definitive revival of West Side Story she received the Drama Desk Award, as well as her first Tony Award nomination, for playing Anita. Allen received her second Tony Award nomination in 1986 for her performance in the title role of Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity.

In 2001 Allen fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.

Visit www.Cat2008onBroadway.com.

I cannot wait if this winds up happening.

Country Girl could possibly come in right on the cusp of the cut-off for the Tonys if Cat winds up slinking away quickly enough anyway.

This is going to be one of the biggest misfires ever. I'm done complaining about it, now I just look forward to watching it go down in flames.

Why do you say that, Carl? Because of Allen?

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After the renovation that it is currently undergoing, the Longacre might not be a tough sell. And I think that Boeing-Boeing was rumored for that theater in the spring.

"This is going to be one of the biggest misfires ever. I'm done complaining about it, now I just look forward to watching it go down in flames."

AMEN! I still would die to see McDonald's Maggie but never in Allen's production or with a producing team like that.

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Well...when this was first announced, it was supposed to be head by Kenny Leon (I think) with Audra as Maggie, the fabulous Anthony Mackie as Brick, the latter-day Greer Garson herself, Ms. Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama and, I believe, Oscar-winner Forrest Whitaker as Big Daddy (though he seemed young to me...Charles Dutton would have been spectacular). That could have been the great CAT we have been waiting for.

Alas, it's not to be.

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Oh, I was hoping this would have slipped away, longer, not to be heard of until they found a stronger director.

I thought she was astonishingly sultry in the PASSION she did with Cerveris and Lupone. It was the first time I'd seen her really bring the sex is a palpable way.

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I thought there were rumors that Anika Noni Rose was in the running to play Maggie. Granted she may not be as big a name as Beyonce or Audra but I think she would pretty damn great. It also seems a given that Phylicia Rashad will play Big Mama. Could Daniel Sunjata be a convincing Brick? He is a very pretty face but seems a bit one-note in his acting... is there any way to add a nude scene for Brick? Didn't Charles S. Dutton turn his back on Broadway after the revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottem? I feel like there was some bad blood goin' on in that production. He would be a fantastic Big Daddy nonetheless. Who could play the scenestealing role of Mae?

Z.

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John Amos as Big Daddy

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