John Lithgow in GIANT - Broadway, March 2026

[quizking101]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 9:05am

Theatre to be announced, tickets on sale next month.

https://variety.com/2025/theater/news/giant-john-lithgow-broadway-transfer-march-2026-1236519741/

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 9:09am

One of the best performances I've ever seen. 

Sit as close as you possibly can to capture the fluid and natural performance Lithgow gives.  His facial expressions, gestures, body language ... you want to enveloped by them if you can.

I was in the front row in London (cheapest seats) and it almost felt like you were sitting with him at the dining room table, the setting there for almost all of the show.

Updated On: 9/16/25 at 09:09 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 9:10am

Based on the response in London, feels like sort of a FROST NIXON or THE AUDIENCE or NETWORK or JERUSALEM situation where he will steamroll to a Best Actor win!

Updated On: 9/16/25 at 09:10 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 9:15am

Yeah, the race for the Best Actor Tony has officially ended. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 9:19am

One of the few things I’m really pumped about this season.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 10:39am

Do we all now agree that The Witches is, in fact, anti semitic?

I remember expressing surprise when the National Theatre in London produced their musical of it. Is that why it disappeared without trace? Could it have run concurrently with Giant, or even post-Giant?

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 10:43am

Gotta think the rest of the West End cast will come over, no?

Longacre, Music Box, Booth, or Jones?

 

 

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 10:48am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Do we all now agree that The Witches is, in fact, anti semitic?"

I think Dahl’s blatant antisemitism is still a shocking discovery to many. A friend of mine recently re-read all of his novels, and when I sent him the announcement that Giant was transferring, he was so excited to see it and was immediately deflated when I mentioned what it was actually about. He’s by no means ignorant in that way usually, but it just goes to show how easily that bit of biographical information gets lost in the sauce of legacy.

[MB124]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 10:51am

ColorTheHours048 said: "Jay Lerner-Z said: "Do we all now agree that The Witches is, in fact, anti semitic?"

I think Dahl’s blatant antisemitism is still a shocking discovery to many. A friend of mine recently re-read all of his novels, and when I sent him the announcement that Giant was transferring, he was so excited to see it and was immediately deflated when I mentioned what it was actually about. He’s by no means ignorant in that way usually, but it just goes to show how easily that bit of biographical information gets lost in the sauce of legacy."

I haven’t read or seen the play, but I believe I remember hearing that the show DOES tackle his anti semitism. For anyone who’s seen or read it, can you confirm?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 10:54am

Yes, that’s my point. That’s what the play is about, and simply hearing the plot has made a couple of my friends go “Oh, I had no idea.”

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:00am

Lithgow hasn’t been a huge draw on Broadway over the past 25 years, but this could be a rare combo of star + subject matter + acclaim that results in big box office.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:01am

Yes, it is set in 1983, the year The Witches was published. Dahl had just written a very anti-Israel article in a newspaper. The play depicts a fictitious crisis meeting at his English home, with his American publisher having sent over an agent to investigate.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:06am

Also, while I'm in "woke" mode, what a shame that Lithgow is participating in the new HBO Harry Potter series. Especially considering the acclaim he once got for portraying a trans character.

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:42am

MB124 said: "I haven’t read or seen the play, but I believe I remember hearing that the show DOES tackle his anti semitism. For anyone who’s seen or read it, can you confirm?"

Quite head-on eventually and in a manner that provoked much discussion from people around me during intermission and after the show ended.  But the entire first act is sort of a slow burn delving into Dahl's psyche and watching Lithgow reveal those layers is one of this production's joys.

Updated On: 9/16/25 at 11:42 AM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:47am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Also, while I'm in "woke" mode, what a shame that Lithgow is participating in the new HBO Harry Potter series. Especially considering the acclaimhe once got for portraying a trans character."


JK Rowling is hateful and wretched, but it would be hard for any actor to turn down a role that good in a production of that size. I would love to see Mark Rylance play Dumbledore.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 11:52am

Well. I'm not suggesting stoning him, or even cancelling him. Just expressing disappointment. He has said playing Roald Dahl is the highlight of his whole professional career, so it's not like he's doing badly right now.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 12:33pm

Yeah, I foresee a mix of well-intentioned and wrong-headed controversy over this one when it actually launches. "John Lithgow, who collaborates with an author accused of anti-Semitism among other bigotries, is now PLAYING an author accused of even more anti-Semitism."

This could be Nicole Scherzinger 2.0: the wildly promising frontrunner is problematic but undeniable.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 12:38pm

darquegk said: "Yeah, I foresee a mix of well-intentioned and wrong-headed controversy over this one when it actually launches. "John Lithgow, who collaborates with an author accused of anti-Semitism among other bigotries, is now PLAYING an author accused of even more anti-Semitism."

This could be Nicole Scherzinger 2.0: the wildly promising frontrunner is problematic but undeniable."

 

Sorry but that's sort of a ridiculous argument.  It's called ACTING. Lithgow won one of his many Emmys for playing a serial killer on DEXTER -- I don't remember many complaints that he was "glorifying" murder.  Oh that's right -- people hadn't lost their collective friggin' minds yet back then!

 

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 9/16/25 at 1:10pm

This won best play across the pond. I’ll be DAMNED if this wins Best Play against Liberation 

[Sauja]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 1:53pm

Got an email that says presale starts tomorrow. It doesn’t say what theater it’s playing, though! Anyone know? It’s weirdly not on the show’s website either.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 2:58pm

The Bandstand said: "This won best play across the pond. I’ll be DAMNED if this wins Best Play against Liberation"

Be DAMNED then.  This is going to win Best Play, especially considering Liberation will (...likely) be long gone by the summer when this is at at its stride.  Lithgow is already a lock.

Also...it's a phenomenal play.  

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 3:17pm

Sauja said: "Got an email that says presale starts tomorrow. It doesn’t say what theater it’s playing, though! Anyone know? It’s weirdly noton the show’s website either."

I would say it’s probably one of the following Shubert houses:

• Barrymore
• Booth
• Music Box
• JEJ

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 3:21pm

Play Esq. said: "The Bandstand said: "This won best play across the pond. I’ll be DAMNED if this wins Best Play against Liberation"

Be DAMNED then. This is going to win Best Play, especially considering Liberation will (...likely) be long gone by the summer when this is at at its stride. Lithgow is already a lock.

Also...it's a phenomenal play."

Liberation is only scheduled to run through January 11

[Cockeyed Optimist]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 3:32pm

Giant was not really a shoo in at the Olivier awards, and neither was Lithgow for that matter.  There was a lot of talk about Adrien Brody winning, so I don’t think Lithgow is giving this performance for the ages that some here describe because he wasn’t even a lock in London. 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 10/14/25 at 4:25pm

Cockeyed Optimist said: "Giant was not really a shoo in at the Olivier awards, and neither was Lithgow for that matter. There was a lot of talk about Adrien Brody winning, so I don’t think Lithgow is giving this performance for the ages that some here describe because he wasn’t even a lock in London."

I think it's safe to call him an early favorite, but this early on he's probably not a lock. He's arguably got greater competition here - Mark Strong, Don Cheadle, Namir Smallwood, the Dog Day Afternoon boys - and there's a chance the subject matter doesn't play as well to American audiences as it did for Brits.